Harry Potter and the Paths of Fate
by aschowin
Summary: An Obviosly AU 6th year fic! Harry has a lot of thinking to do, and he is faced with choices that could effect his future. With the building pressure of war there will be changes and challenges for Harry and Co. Ootp Spoilers
1. Quiet Changes

Author's Note: Welcome to my fic. I am reposting the first few chapters, because when I started writing, I had no idea that there was an appropriate format. I know that most sixth year fics start off pretty much the same, and mine is no exception. I could summarize the first chapters for you, but then I would have wasted my time with writing all those words, right? Anyway, I hope you don't get bored, and continue to read on. Review if you can spare the time. Enjoy.

Jeremy

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Harry Potter or any characters or places in this story, they belong to JK Rowling. I am making no money from this story.

Harry Potter and the Paths of Fate

Chapter 1: Quiet Changes  
  
It was a quiet Tuesday afternoon at number 4 Privet Drive. In fact it seemed as if the whole world had slowly gone silent. The skies were somewhat cloudy but it was fairly warm outside. It was the third week of summer holiday and Harry Potter was sitting at the desk in his room. His eyes were staring out the window unfocused. They were clearly bloodshot, but still shown a bright green beneath his glasses. He was vaguely watching the skyline for Hedwig to return from delivering his letter to Remus Lupin. Not much had changed about him in the few weeks since the end of term. He had grown slightly taller, and was still skinny although he appeared to have a firm build. He had untidy black hair, which never lay flat, and on his forehead there was a small white scar shaped like a lightning bolt. He found himself tracing the scar with his finger while he thought. He remembered that he used to think how the scar was one of the few things he liked about himself. If only he had known how much pain this scar would cause. How he hated it now.

His mind started to drift off again. Harry had spent the last three weeks torn between thinking about the past year at school, and trying not to. There were many things he couldn't bear to remember and those were the thoughts that most often crept into his mind. He found himself once again turning over those memories

Harry had spent most of the term feeling angry and misunderstood. It had started last summer after he had witnessed the return of Lord Voldemort. Harry could feel his eyes glaze with tears as he remembered the scene in the graveyard from that night. He recalled the look on the face Cedric Diggory, a fellow student, as he was killed. Then his mind flashed to the horrid sight of Voldemort reborn. The hands that were long and white, the snakelike face, those scarlet eyes, with slits for pupils, and the cold high-pitched voice haunted Harry. He had dueled with Voldemort and managed to escape again. And then, he was cut off from the wizarding world. No one told him anything, not his friends, or Sirius, and especially not Professor Dumbledore. Harry felt foolish now at having been so angry with them all. As it had turned out, Dumbledore had his reasons for not telling Harry what was going on. Harry had also suffered ridicule and persecution from the Daily Prophet, the wizard newspaper that had been printing articles supported by the Ministry of Magic. These stories were being used to discredit Harry, making him out to be an attention-seeker and a liar. They had been unwilling to accept Harry's story that Voldemort had returned to power.  
  
More disturbing than all of that, had been the recurring nightmares that made his scar sear with pain. The dreams were visions of the Dark Lord. It was the scar that Harry received when Voldemort had tried to kill him as a baby. It had created a link between them, which the Dark Lord had used to lure Harry to the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic with the purpose of getting Harry to retrieve a prophecy. He had lead his friends into a trap. Voldemort's Death Eaters had been waiting for him. Members of The Order of the Phoenix came to rescue them, but in the ensuing battle the prophecy was smashed. Then Harry suffered the worst loss of his life. While dueling with Bellatrix Lestrange his Godfather was killed. Again Harry felt red-hot tears brimming in his eyes. He knew he had been a fool to endanger his friends like that, but the loss of Sirius was too much too endure. Sirius Black was a kind and brave man, Harry thought. For the two years he had known him Sirius had always tried to help Harry with his problems. In the short time since discovering who Sirius was they had grown close. Now he was gone and Harry felt that it was his fault. And each time that Harry's mind came to that part, he could sense his scar burn, and the emotions attached to it were both fear and joy, although they were completely separate from the pain in his heart.

Finally it was that prophecy, the prophecy that had been smashed, which Professor Dumbledore was able to recall for him. Harry could see vividly the figure in the pensieve as it rotated, repeating the words of the prophecy made more than sixteen years ago. _"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…. Born to those who have thrice defied him, Born as the seventh month dies…."_ These words Voldemort knew, but that was not the whole prediction. _"…. And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, But he will have powers the Dark Lord knows not…."_ And so it was, that when Voldemort had tried to kill him as a baby, he transferred some of his own power to Harry, and gave him the lightning shaped scar. But it was the last part scarred Harry. _"…. And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives…."_ Dumbledore told Harry that it meant that he was the only one who could defeat Voldemort, and if he could not, then Voldemort would murder him.

Sometimes these things would build up like a weight in his chest that made it hard to breath. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't get past these feelings. Harry was anxious to return to his world, the wizarding world. He hated being stuck here in Privet Drive, shut out from the place that he belonged. His birthday was in a little more than a week, but it wouldn't be the same; not without Sirius.

His Aunt Petunia calling him for dinner interrupted Harry's thoughts. He wiped off his face and tried to clear his mind. He was sure that he still needed to practice Occlumency to protect his mind. He knew that the mistakes he had made would have been prevented if he had practiced more last term. It was much easier to do without Snape, Harry's least favorite professor, taunting him; but he found that when he emptied his head of emotion he felt cold and uncomfortable. However the lesson was learned, Harry was determined not to let himself put the people he loved in jeopardy ever again. He just needed to concentrate.

****

Harry got up from the desk and left his room to go downstairs for dinner. Over the last few weeks he found that he was still having trouble deciding whether he wanted to be with other people or not, so he had skipped more than a few meals. It usually depended on his mood. It is true that the Dursley's hardly treated him as a person to begin with, and weren't upset at all if he deprived them of his company. They would never think of asking him if he was ok, and he did find some tranquility in his solitude. He smiled as he got to the bottom of the steps thinking of how his friends would react if they knew he wasn't eating properly. Hermione would look very worried and nag him about it. Ron however would look at him incredulously as if the thought of not eating was a personal insult.

At the moment he was rather hungry as teenage boys frequently are, and had decided that he could endure the Dursley's at least long enough to eat. Yet here was another change that was taking some getting used to. Normally at number four Privet Drive it was the unofficial pastime to ridicule Harry. Indeed his Aunt, Uncle, and cousin seemed to find pleasure in persecuting him. This summer had been quite different though as the Dursley's were acting almost civil towards him. Even Dudley, Harry's cousin who always enjoyed bullying him, seemed to have lost his penchant for it. This strange turn in their treatment of Harry was in no doubt due to the threats that had been made on Harry's behalf by a group of older wizards who had some part in protecting Harry. The group which included Mr. And Mrs.Weasley, his best friend Ron's parents; the sinister looking "Madeye" Moody; Remus Lupin (a werewolf); and Nymphadora Tonks, a witch who had pink hair at the time. At the end of term, while the Dursley's were picking Harry up at the King's Cross train station, these wizards made it very clear that if Harry was being mistreated they would be paying a visit to the Dursley home.

Well it was bad enough that they had Harry in their home, never mind what the neighbors would say if that lot was seen knocking on the front door. Aunt Petunia couldn't bear the notion of it. Moreover Uncle Vernon and Dudley had yet to have an encounter with a full-grown wizard in their home and come off better for it. Therefore Harry had been granted much more leniency and freedom than usual. As he entered the kitchen he thought that he should thank them all in his next letter.  
  
****Another improvement Harry noticed was at mealtime, if he bothered to go. Dudley was no longer on a diet. In the last few years Dudley had grown to be so immense that he had over shadowed his father. Dudley's school therefore insisted that he go on a diet. As a result, Aunt Petunia decided that everyone in the house would have to follow it just to be fair to Dudley, which meant that Harry received even smaller portions of his already meager repast. This too had changed as last year Dudley found a new love in the form of boxing. With all the training he had been doing there was really no need to continue eating the sparse meals. So when Harry sat down it was to a fully laden table. The meal was steak and kidney pie and potatoes, with lemon ice for desert.  
  
Harry was cleaning the dishes when he heard the doorbell ring. Uncle Vernon set down his newspaper and looked rather dejected as he left the kitchen to answer the door. A moment latter to his dismay, Harry heard Uncle Vernon bellow "Harry Potter!" He wasn't sure what he could have done but he set down the plate that was in his hand and went into the hallway to see what was the matter.

Author's note: First; Chapter 1 Paragraph 4 References to the Prophecy are quoted from Harry Potter and The Order Of The Phoenix: Chapter Thirty-Seven, page 841, 2nd paragraph, Written by JK Rowling. I used those words only for accuracy.


	2. An Unexpected Visit

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Harry Potter or any characters or places in this story, they belong to JK Rowling. I am making no money from this story.

Chapter 2: An Unexpected Visit

It was somewhat out of the ordinary for anyone to come calling after dinnertime at number four Privet Drive. On this day however, Harry received something he had certainly not anticipated, a visitor. He came to the front door staring blankly at his Uncle. Vernon Dursley glared at Harry, his face turning a sharp color of puce. Harry looked out the door to see a tall thin man who was rather aged. The man was dressed in purple robes and had long silver hair; his beard and mustache, which extended to his belt, framed a polite smile. He wore half-moon spectacles on his nose, which was crooked as though it had been broken several times. However the most noticeable feature were the piercing blue eyes that looked over the rim of his glasses. This man was, of course, Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"Hello Professor Dumbledore." Said Harry.

"Hello Harry," started Dumbledore "I was hoping to take some time to speak with you and your Aunt and Uncle." Turning to Vernon he said, "If you will pardon my intrusion I believe we have some important matters to discuss."

If it was at all possible the shade of Vernon Dursley's face got deeper. Harry was sure that Uncle Vernon was about to explode. Dumbledore however started before Uncle Vernon could answer, "Of course I realize I should introduce myself first. My name is Albus Dumbledore, and I am the Headmaster at Harry's school."

"Ah I see now," Said Vernon, "what trouble has the boy caused now" showing the man inside away from the prying eyes of the neighbors.

"Why none at all." Replied the headmaster. "But please if you'll allow me, I am sure there are things that I must explain to you and your wife."

Vernon was apparently caught off his guard by the cheerful manners of the aged man standing in front of him, as though he had not expected this of _one of those people_. At that moment Aunt petunia came into the room wondering what was taking so long. She looked taken aback by the sight of the man in front of her as if something frightening had just walked into her home. "P-Petunia dear, this is the headmaster of the boy's school." Vernon stated nervously. "He would like to speak with us." With that he lead the way into the sitting room and offered Dumbledore a chair. Harry found it amusing to see his Aunt and Uncle look slightly shocked and confused. Actually Harry also found it odd to have his headmaster sitting in his Aunt and Uncle's house. At any rate they were at least resigned to listening to what the man had to say.

"Firstly," began Dumbledore, "I would like to thank you for the many years that you have looked after Harry. As I have told you before, in the letter that I left with him on your doorstep, when you took him in you gave him the greatest protection that anyone could offer."

"Well this is a first," Uncle Vernon interjected coarsely, "that someone has offered us any praise for putting up with that boy and his nonsense."

Dumbledore watched quietly for a moment. Harry thought of how often he had been regarded by those calm blue eyes. It was odd how they seemed to penetrate your thoughts, and yet emitted a glow of warmth and kindness. "Indeed you have been quite gracious in continuing to care for Harry although, unless I am mistaken, you would prefer not to have him as a guest. However I am not here to try to change your opinion, as I know such things are not my business. I am here to discuss several changes in Harry's life which you need to be aware of."

Vernon looked perplexed as he was not entirely convinced that he had not just been thanked and insulted in his own house by a man he didn't know, who was wearing purple robes. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with amusement as he began to recount some of the highlights of Harry's last few years at school; including rescuing Sirius, the sorcerer's stone, the Triwizard tournament, Cedric Diggory's death and the return of Voldemort, the trial with the ministry and their persecution of Harry, and also the fact that Harry was an excellent Quidditch player. For his part Harry listened patiently, nodding along in agreement with the headmaster's story, but otherwise remaining silent. Uncle Vernon looked on with mild indignation, Harry was confident that his Uncle was completely uninterested in anything that Dumbledore had to say about Harry's life. Aunt Petunia's expression was hard to read however, it wasn't a look he had seen from her before, not where it concerned him anyway.

"Finally, I would like to tell you of a recent loss Harry has suffered." Harry knew exactly what Dumbledore was going to say and he wasn't sure that he wanted to hear it. He still couldn't say it himself, like it would make Sirius' death final. "As you are aware, Lord Voldemort tried to kill Harry when he was a baby. He has now regained power and has continued his attempts on Harry's life. To his credit Harry has survived five such attacks. During the last attack in June, Harry's Godfather, Sirius Black, was killed." Aunt Petunia clapped a hand over her mouth. Her maternal instinct seemed to get the better of her as she glanced mournfully at Harry. "It would seem," continued Dumbledore, "that Voldemort had several of his followers attack Harry and his friends. Sirius and several other wizards, whom I am told you met King's Cross, tried to rescue the students. However while doing so Sirius was murdered."

Uncle Vernon looked quite disturbed. Harry was sure this wasn't a conversation his Uncle wanted to have in his house, if at all. Harry really didn't care what Uncle Vernon wanted at that moment. "Well, I am not sure what all of this has to do with us." said Vernon in a very flat tone. Harry, at least, could count on Uncle Vernon to not pretend that he was upset.

Dumbledore simply smiled. "Of course then, to the point. When he died Sirius left a will. It will be settled next week. I would like for Harry to attend, and felt that it would be best to ask you."

This was the first Harry had heard or even considered that Sirius had a will, and he was shocked. He wondered what it might contain, but then began to feel guilty. He was uncertain if he wanted to know, to be reminded of his loss. It had been little more than a month since Sirius fell through the veil. Harry had only really spoken to Dumbledore about Sirius' death. Then he was shipped back to Privet Drive. Harry hadn't told anyone about the hole he had inside of him, the place that Sirius had been ripped from.

Dumbledore turned to Harry as if sensing his conflict, "Harry, I believe this may help you to deal with your grief, which is most Important, as I am sure you have had little outlet for your emotions." Harry tried to smile at his Professors kind words, but his face quickly stole into a grimace as he felt the tears begin to surface. He quickly turned his face from them all, as Uncle Vernon began to squirm. Apparently magic wasn't the only topic that made Vernon Dursley uncomfortable.

"Well, I-I suppose," Vernon began, "Err that is to s-say-Alright, the boy can go."

Harry caught a quick gleam in the headmaster's eyes before he continued. "I am sure, if you would prefer, that Harry will be welcome to spend the rest of the holidays with the Weasley family." Harry gave a genuine smile, the first he could remember in some time.

"Very well then." Growled Uncle Vernon.

"Excellent," said Dumbledore as he got up, "I will be by Wednesday morning to take Harry myself. Shall we say 8 O'clock in the morning then?" Vernon nodded. "Very well then. If you will excuse me I must be going. Harry if you don't mind I would like a quick private word before I go." Dumbledore bowed slightly to Petunia and offered a handshake to a rather jumpy looking Vernon, as he said, "until next week," and walked with Harry into the hallway. "Harry remember to continue to practice Occlumency. It is still quite important to block your mind from Voldemort. When we meet next week we will begin to discuss next term and some things that I believe can help you. With any luck we shall resume your lessons in Occlumency soon, and perhaps move on to some more advanced defensive spells." When he finished, Dumbledore gave a quick wink, and said goodbye as he left.


	3. Unknown Travels

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Harry Potter or any characters or places in this story, they belong to JK Rowling. I am making no money from this story.

Chapter 3 Unknown Travels

A day later after Harry had spent the afternoon in the backyard, he returned to his room. Waiting there in her cage with two letters was Hedwig. "Finally back are you," Harry smiled at his snowy owl as he gently stroked her head. Hedwig hooted casually in response as she held up her leg with the two parchments. Harry untied them and settled down on his bed to read. Hedwig took a drink of water and stretched her wings before tucking her head under her wing for a little nap. The first letter he opened was from Hermione and it read:

"Dear Harry,

I hope this letter finds you well. We haven't really talked for a while, but I guess that is something you need. I just want you to know that Ron and I are worried about you. Ron told me about your visit from Professor Dumbledore. He wrote to ask me if I could attend as well. Also he said that it is important for Ron and I to try to support you. Harry I do hope that you know by now that we are and always will be ready to help you. Anyway, I have arranged it all with my parents. I told them everything. They were a little disappointed about vacation, but they decided it was best if I went to see all of you. I will be staying for the remainder of the holiday. So I suppose I'll see you when you get there. But please Harry, if you need to talk or anything we're here for you.

Love From

Hermione"

Harry had to admit that he had been expecting something like this. It was comforting to hear from his friends though. He felt that things were starting to look up. Better in fact than it had in a while. True he was soon going to be reminded of Sirius, and maybe even letting himself begin to say goodbye. However he was leaving Privet Drive, for one of the last times in his life he hoped. Next year Harry would be of age. He began to think of the exciting life outside of Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia's tyranny, where he would be able to use magic any time he wanted. Also, Harry would be spending the rest of the holiday with his friends, the people who had stuck by him through all of his problems last term. In fact the Weasley's accepted Harry as another son. Harry grinned thinking of how good it felt to know that there were still people who cared about him. But it was a sad phantom of a smile.

Harry read silently through the second letter, which was from Lupin. The letter read like all the others he had received from Remus this year. It told him that it was good to hear that he was being treated well and he could hardly wait to have him out of there next week. Harry was in fact just as anxious to see Remus Lupin, as he was to see the rest of his friends. If anyone was having as much trouble with the loss of Sirius it would be Lupin, yet somehow his letters always seemed to be muted, never really touching on the subject Harry most wanted to hear about from him. Harry supposed that it might be too soon for Remus as well and that the following week would be the best time to bring the matter up.

The rest of the week seemed to ease by quickly. Harry passed the time between studying, packing his belongings, and drifting into his usual reflections of the last year. The odd thing about all the thinking Harry had been doing was that it almost always started and returned to his scar. Aside from the occasional prickle Harry had not experienced much pain from the scar. Even his dreams seemed to belong entirely to his own mind. Not that it was much of a relief, Harry's own nightmares were far more terrifying than almost any the Dark Lord had been able to show him, accept perhaps the one from the Department of Mysteries, of Sirius being tortured.

The feelings he had when the scar burned he was sure were not his own which meant that they belonged to Voldemort. Over the last few weeks it had been the same. He would be thinking of Sirius falling through the veil, and there was nothing he could do to help him. It was his fault Sirius was there to begin with, and a black pit formed in his stomach. The inside of his head would swirl as tears began to form, and his forehead would burn like someone digging into it with a hot dull knife. The emotions that came with the burning were confusing when mixed with his own. Why would Voldemort feel either joy or fear? He had failed in retrieving the prophecy, and in killing Harry. Certainly he wouldn't be happy about either of those things. Fear however was a startling revelation. Harry could only think of one thing Voldemort would fear, Dumbledore. Although, Dumbledore himself had made several hints that Voldemort's greatest fear of all was death. Harry decided that he would have to discuss this more with the headmaster to figure out what it might mean.

Before he knew it Wednesday had dawned into a golden morning. Harry rose early just to be sure he had packed everything. He hurried downstairs to help Aunt Petunia with breakfast before he left. It occurred to Harry that he wasn't sure where exactly he would be going. He supposed that the Order of the Phoenix still used Sirius' place as headquarters, but he wasn't positive. Then again Dumbledore did mention that he would be staying with the Ron's family, which might mean the Burrow. Harry got a chill of excitement. If they were at the Burrow Harry would have a chance to fly on his broom in the paddock near their house. He dearly missed flying, it was one of the few things in his life that actually brought him peace.

Just then Uncle Vernon plowed into the kitchen breaking Harry's train of thought. "Bring me my coffee boy." He growled. Harry was quite satisfied to be leaving though, and not even Uncle Vernon's grumbling or insults could dampen Harry's spirits. "And just how are you going. It had better not involve my fireplace exploding I can tell you that much." Uncle Vernon continued his remonstrations, but Harry realized he didn't know how Dumbledore planned on going wherever it was that they were going. Dudley came in a moment later. He had been out for his morning exercise and managed a weak smile at Harry before helping himself to some eggs and sausages. Since last summer things had been slightly different between Harry and Dudley. Neither of them truly liked the other, but they had at least made peace. It was much easier to live here without Dudley punching Harry, or Harry taunting Dudley. Harry finished eating and went to get his trunk.

At precisely 8 O'clock the doorbell rang and Harry answered it. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon came into the room as Harry invited Professor Dumbledore inside. "Ah yes, I see you are ready to leave." said the familiar calm voice. "All the better, I believe, as there will be many things to attend to today."

Harry was barely able to contain himself. The relief that he was finally going swept over him. "Pardon me sir, but I was curious where are we going, and how will we be traveling?" Harry said with a hint of anticipation. Dumbledore smiled lightly. "As for where we are going I believe it best left unsaid. However we will be traveling by portkey." he said with a wink as he produced a teacup from inside his robes. "Well then if everything is in order, shall we?" Dumbledore bowed his head toward the Dursleys as he held up the cup.

Harry turned to wave to his Aunt and Uncle only to find himself in an embrace from Aunt Petunia. "Do take care of yourself" she said as she stepped away. Uncle Vernon merely glared and gave the slightest of nods. With that Harry said goodbye and placed his hand on the cup.

"1, 2, 3" whispered Dumbledore, and Harry felt the familiar jerk behind his navel and had the sensation of spinning. A moment later his feet touched the ground and he released the cup. As he looked around he found himself in an unfamiliar alley. "This way Harry," said Dumbledore as he began walking out to towards the end of the alley. "I believe there will be some people anxiously awaiting your arrival and it is best not to keep them waiting." When they emerged from the alley Harry recognized the square and saw a signpost that read Grimmauld Place.

Harry heaved his trunk and walked across the empty square to the door of number twelve. Harry knocked loudly and when the door opened he was immediately surrounded by a bunch of bushy brown hair. "Easy Hermione!" Harry gasped as he tried to maintain his balance.

"Blimey would you let him get in the door before you attack him" came Ron's laughing voice, his bright red hair bouncing around just behind her.

"Oh Harry, we couldn't wait for you to get here. We were beginning to worry. How are you doing? This is much better than last summer, at least you didn't have to wait too long." Hermione said as Harry passed inside followed closely by Dumbledore.

"Yeah mate, what she said." chortled Ron.

Mrs. Weasley's voice started before Harry could reply. "Harry, welcome back. Why don't you and Ron take your things up to your room while I prepare some tea for us all." she said as she pulled him into a hug and then looked at him as if to size him up.

"That sounds great," Harry began, "it-it's good to be back I suppose." As he sighed all the smiles seemed to disappear. Harry could feel everyone staring at him as he looked around. It didn't look as he remembered it, but he wasn't sure that he could handle being here. After taking it in for a moment the anguish began to wash over him again. He forced a slight smile to let everyone know that he was ok.

"Now then Molly, I believe you mentioned tea. Perhaps Harry would like a few minutes to compose himself. Shall we adjourn to the kitchen ? When he is ready I am sure he can manage to find his way down to us." At this suggestion Mrs. Weasley ushered Ron and Hermione towards the front hall and out of sight as she gave a fleeting glance back at Harry, and Dumbledore followed suit.

Harry picked up his trunk which he had dropped when Hermione threw herself on him. He was still a little jarred by the shock of returning to Sirius' home and took a moment to look around before heading to the stairs. The place looked vaguely familiar, though it was much cleaner. The walls seemed to be brighter, and most of the furniture seemed to have been moved. Although, Harry did notice that curtains still hung over the portrait of Mrs. Black. Harry entered his room and dropped his trunk next to his bed. There was a bittersweet taste in his mouth. He was glad to be anywhere but Privet Drive, but it did hurt to be here.

A moment later Ron came into the room holding Hedwig. "Sorry," he said as if he were interrupting, "Mum asked me to bring her up. So, how are you feeling?" Ron looked at the floor as soon as he asked.

"Well, I'm not really sure." Harry gave a weak grin as he reached over and took Hedwig. "A little better than I was a month ago."


	4. The Will

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Harry Potter or any characters or places in this story, they belong to JK Rowling. I am making no money from this story.

Chapter 4 The Will

Harry and Ron returned to the kitchen a few minutes later and sat down to tea and a few chocolate éclairs. Lupin greeted Harry with a look of respect. After a brief chat Harry, Ron, and Hermione spent the rest of the morning talking with Dumbledore and helping him to set out chairs in the dining room, which turned out to be a good deal of fun as Dumbledore taught them a charm to conjure chairs. It was a welcome distraction for Harry, who couldn't recall having a reason to laugh in ages. There was quite an assortment of chairs when Mrs. Weasley called them to the kitchen for lunch. Some of the chairs were lopsided or missing legs, while others were multicolored, or not entirely there. It seemed that the charm was basic, but difficult to do while laughing. Which most of them did after looking at Ron's first attempt, a pink shag covered armchair that leaned heavily to the left. Dumbledore gave a flick of his wand before they left the room, and transfigured all of the chairs into a more uniform appearance.

After Lunch Dumbledore asked Harry if he would assist Remus with greeting the members of the Order as they arrived. Everyone was expected to arrive some time around Two O'clock. Harry was eager to speak privately with Lupin so he agreed to welcome the other wizards. Ron and Hermione were delegated the task of helping Mrs. Weasley prepare a large meal for supper as most of the people attending would be staying for a meeting later that evening. Harry was curious as to the whereabouts of Fred, George, and Ginny. Ron's elder twin brothers were conspicuous by their absence, which usually meant that they were up to some sort of mischief. Harry put the question to Remus as they stepped into the front hall.

With a small grin Lupin explained that Fred and George were quite occupied with their business at the moment. In fact Weasley Wizard Wheezes was so thriving that they were overwhelmed with customers and had taken Ginny on as part time help. "They will of course be coming in shortly. I believe their friend Lee will be managing the shop for the afternoon so they may attend. Poor soul." remarked Remus.

Harry found comfort in being back where he belonged. Just having fun with his friends, or talking with the people he cared about and hearing of the success at the joke shop seemed to lift a bit of the pressure off of his shoulders. Remus looked at Harry and nodded knowingly. He understood and shared in the same relief that these small matters offered. Harry noticed that Remus was looking a little more worn around the eyes, perhaps just leftover results of the last full moon. His face bore the deep lines of someone who had aged before their time and his hair was slightly grayed, but his eyes remained keen and bright. Harry couldn't bring himself to start the conversation he had been anxious to have with his old professor. So he let the moment pass, and his attention was diverted as the members of the Order began to arrive.

His job was much easier than he had thought it would be. Harry knew most of the wizards, and he followed Remus' lead, shaking hands and showing the wizards into the dinning room. Moody entered followed by Kingsley Shacklebolt and Tonks, and they spent a moment talking with Harry to make sure that he had been treated well at the Dursley's. Next came Mundungus Fletcher who gave a weak smile and proceeded directly into the dining room.

George, Fred, and Ginny arrived looking utterly worn out. Their faces rose when they saw Harry though. Ginny gave him a quick hug and an appraising look reminiscent of her mother, and the twins shook his hand wholeheartedly. "If we get a chance later Fred and I want to talk to you." whispered George as he leaned in so that only Harry could hear him. Fred gave a wink as they quickly went upstairs to wash up.

There were many more witches and wizards than Harry had expected and it looked as though everyone in the Order of the Phoenix was showing up. However the last person to appear was not someone Harry would have thought likely to be there. "Good afternoon Mr. Potter." came the silky cold voice of Severus Snape.

If it were possible Harry responded in an even icier tone, "Hello Professor." Harry couldn't believe that Snape would dare to show his face here. Harry still held him partly responsible for Sirius' death. Snape could obviously sense the enmity Harry felt towards him. Harry's face began to go flush.

"Hello Remus." Snape said as he and Harry glared at each other.

"Come now both of you," interjected Lupin as he stepped between them, "put aside your dislike of each other for today. Severus, you should at least remember what Dumbledore said about this nonsense."

"Indeed." replied Snape as he broke away from his stare and stepped in the next room.

Harry looked at Lupin questioningly, to which Lupin replied, "I'll explain later." With that he lead the way in to join the gathering.

As they entered the room Remus nodded to Dumbledore and took a seat near the front of the room. Harry felt a little uneasy as he sat between Remus and Ron, who gave him a nervous glance. Dumbledore stood up and began to speak, "Now then, seeing as everyone has arrived I would like to begin by saying welcome and thank you for coming. We are here today, of course, to remember our friend and fellow Sirius Black, and to settle his will. As you all know Sirius fell in battle just over a month ago. He was a bold man, both proud and stern, who stood by his convictions. Yet always did he remember to enjoy those around him. His life was filled with suffering. He lost one of his best friends and his freedom when he was betrayed by another friend. To escape after thirteen years of imprisonment only to be confined in his own home was a sore trial for him. However he died defending the people he cared for, a merit that tells how he chose to live his life. I can think of no words which are more fitting for our friend. And now a moment of silence, to reflect on our fondest memories of Sirius."

Harry's head spun with thoughts of his Godfather. He remembered the surprise as Sirius' head popped into the fire in the Gryffindor common room. The large black dog that frightened him in the alleyway on near Privet Drive the first time Harry had laid eyes on him, not knowing who he was. Sirius flying away to freedom on the back of Buckbeak the hippogriff. And again in his dog form chasing the Hogwarts Express, and a hundred other memories that flashed through his mind. Harry hadn't realized it but tears had begun to leak from his eyes. He removed his glasses and wiped his eyes on his sleeve. Harry was not the only one who had shed a few tears. The eyes of Lupin and Mrs. Weasley, and Tonks as well were all gleaming. Hermione and Ginny were outright sobbing, even Professor McGonagall was dabbing away a tear with a handkerchief she had produced from her robes. As Dumbledore started to speak again Harry noticed that he too had removed his spectacles.

"Forgive me, but I believe we must continue now." He began again. "As to the contents of the will, Sirius charged me with the settlement of his affairs. The instructions of his will state that I am to distribute each part privately. As such I would like to meet each person separately in the drawing room. If you please when I call your name come in. Otherwise feel free to move about and make yourselves more comfortable. I believe Molly has prepared some refreshments, and supper will be served later this evening. Remus, I suppose we shall begin with you." Remus nodded his head and followed Dumbledore into the drawing room.

There was an awkward silence the moment Dumbledore stepped out of the room which was broken when Mrs. Weasley stood up and began to arrange some food on a table. Harry tried to refocus his attention on something else but his attempt was foiled when Hermione came over and gave him a deep hug. Then she moved on to Ron as Ginny stepped up and also embraced him. Ron looked thoroughly disconcerted as Hermione continued to bawl on his shoulder. He seemed to resign himself to comforting her and began to gently rub her back. Slowly the tears seized and they moved to a few chairs on the side of the room. Harry chided himself as he came to the realization that he wasn't the only person who felt the loss of Sirius. He felt foolish for thinking that he was the only person affected by Sirius' death. Even the twins behavior was subdued as they took to helping their mother with setting out the refreshments. His friends looked as though they were waiting for him to say something, but he couldn't think of anything to say. Instead he found himself staring at the floor. The people in the room started to break off into small quiet conversations. Harry decided he could use a cup of tea and asked if anyone else cared for some. A moment later he was back with several cups, and sat in silence sipping from his cup.

Remus came back into the room and told Harry that he was next as he motioned towards the drawing room. Harry set down his cup and walked rather stiffly into the next room.

"Please be seated Harry." said Dumbledore. "I know this is a difficult loss to cope with. Though I am sure you know your own mind best, if you need to speak to someone or need any other help in dealing with your emotions, you should know that I am willing to listen. That being said, let us move on to the business at hand. Sirius was prepared for this occasion. I suppose he learned during our first war with Voldemort that safety was not assured." Dumbledore took a moment to gather his thoughts. His careworn face showed his grief, and his age was more apparent than usual. "There are several possessions that he bequeathed to you Harry. Firstly there is a letter, which I believe contains information he thought best explained to you by himself." Professor Dumbledore handed Harry a sealed parchment that was bound with a black ribbon. "Once we have finished it is your decision as to when and where to open it. Now then, there are several other items he wished to bestow to you . It states that you are to receive one third of the funds in his account at Gringotts Bank. Additionally Sirius leaves to you his estate at number twelve Grimmauld Place, and all possessions therein which are not otherwise specified in this will. Such items have already been set aside for today. As such, everything remaining here in the house now belongs to you." Dumbledore sighed as he finished reading. "You will have a few decisions to make in regard to your new ownership, but I believe they can be left until later. Are there any questions you wish to ask me?"

Harry, whose eyes had not moved from the letter in his hands, felt a little nauseous. He could think of no questions to ask as the Will had been fairly straightforward. "I don't think so. It's just a lot to take in ." Harry said as he looked up into the eyes of the aged man before him.

"I understand Harry. This is a difficult event for everyone, although it has perhaps affected you the most. I wish that I could spare you this loss." It seemed that his words were failing him. After a moment Dumbledore stirred, "Forgive me Harry, I got lost in my own thoughts. Well if there is nothing else I suppose we are finished for now. We shall speak again later if you would like."

"Yes sir." Harry responded quietly. "Then if you could ask Arthur and Molly Weasley to come in I would be grateful." And with that Harry nodded his head as he rose from his seat and returned to the dining room.


	5. The Order

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Harry Potter or any characters or places in this story, they belong to JK Rowling. I am making no money from this story.

Chapter 5 The Order

Harry's head was swimming as he entered the room. He found Mr. And Mrs. Weasley in a corner of the room speaking with Bill, Charlie, and Professor McGonagall. After telling them Dumbledore asked to see them he began to feel the need to be alone. He gave a half-hearted grin to his friends as he made his way into the hall and up to his bedroom.

A moment later he threw himself onto his bed and fought hard against the tears that were again trying to break free. The parchment was still clutched tightly in his hand. He wasn't sure that he wanted to open it just yet. Harry found himself equally torn between a desire for any word from his Godfather and fear that he couldn't handle the a final message. But he recalled another voice in his head that was saying to him "_its not as though I'll never see them again_." It was something Luna Lovegood had said to him at the end of last term. She was the only person besides Dumbledore that Harry had spoken to about Sirius' death. He had found comfort in her words, although many of the ideas she had were quite odd. Still, she had heard the voices behind the veil just as he had. Perhaps she was right. In the end Harry decided that he would wait for another day to open it. He already had a lot to think about and didn't want to spend the rest of the day sobbing. He allowed himself a few minutes to settle down again before he headed back downstairs.

On the way out of his room he bumped into Remus in the hall. "Sorry Harry, I didn't see you there." said the tired looking form of his former professor.

"It's ok. Did you need something?" asked Harry with a small look of concern.

"No no, I just took a few minutes to myself after speaking with Dumbledore. I see I wasn't the only one." To this Harry gave a weak smile and they both took to the stairs to rejoin the gathering.

The next few hours passed slow and quietly. Harry shifted between light conversations with his friends and the other guests. The crowd eventually moved out of the dining room to the kitchen or other rooms. Around six O'clock everyone returned to the dining room for a veritable feast that Mrs. Weasley had put together. Harry piled his plate with turkey and mashed potatoes and buttered peas. The general demeanor of the group had risen slightly, and people were no longer speaking in hushed tones. Towards the end of the meal as everyone was finishing their desert Dumbledore stood up to make an announcement. "Your attention for a brief moment please. I know we have all had a long day, however I wanted to remind you all that there will be a meeting of the Order in about an hour. If a few of us could help Molly clean up it would be most appreciated. Also I would like to meet with Remus and Harry if they have a moment. Thank you."

As Harry rose to follow Dumbledore he noticed that Mundungus Fletcher seemed to have turned a new leaf as he was the first person to begin clearing the table, which earned him an appreciative smile from Mrs. Weasley.

Harry and Lupin followed Dumbledore into a large circular room that was a library. Harry had never before spent much time in here and looked around in awe at the massive collection of books that lined the walls. They each took seats around a small table in the middle of the room and Dumbledore began to speak, "There were a few matters left to discuss and I thought it best if we met together to do so. I hope you have both had some time to reflect on our earlier conversations. Harry I did not tell you everything that concerned you before, however the matter relates directly to Remus so I hope you will forgive me. The final aspect of Sirius' will as it pertains to you is that he named Remus to take his place as your guardian. I believe he explained his reasons in his letter." Remus gave Harry a small grin. Harry began to feel like a prat for not having opened his letter, but it was too late now. "I am sure that you will both have more time tomorrow to discuss it if you wish. I also needed to speak to you Harry about the Order of the Phoenix. You are now the owner of Grimmauld Place and as such I wished to ask your permission to continue to use the house as our headquarters."

"Of course Professor. I assumed that wouldn't change." Harry interrupted. "Thank you very much Harry. I had expected that would be your answer. However I was not finished. I believe that I have learned something from my mistakes this past year." Dumbledore said as a sparkle seamed to return to his eyes. "I believe that as this is your home, you will be very interested in whatever takes place here. As such you will be privy to the meetings that are to take place. I wish to begin by inviting you to the meeting tonight."

Harry's mouth dropped open. He was going to be allowed into the secret meetings, which was something that he had not expected. Remus let out a small chuckle at the look on Harry's face. "There are of course a few stipulations. Harry you have dealt with so many trials that I cannot say you are unable to handle the pressures of the Order. However we do not admit school-aged wizards to join. I believe in your case we might make an exception. I plan to put it to a vote tonight. Of course the usual responsibilities you would not be able to perform because of school. Also, there is some very sensitive information that will be passed during these meetings. For that reason, I would ask after tonight, should you be inducted, that you not attend the meetings until you have mastered Occlumency." Harry nodded in agreement. "That is of course presuming that your new guardian will assent to your joining." Now it was Remus' turn to nod which he did. Harry smiled gratefully at Remus. "Excellent. Harry as I told you at the end of last term I will be giving you your Occlumency lessons henceforward, which we will begin shortly after the start of the next term. Should everything go well tonight I shall speak with you further about your role in the order at another time. I must ask that you not pass on the information you hear tonight to your friends. You may of course tell them of your attendance as I am sure they will find out anyway. There is one final matter that we need to decide upon." Harry knew that this was coming. Dumbledore's voice seemed to indicate a but of apprehension, but Harry was sure that he was imagining it. "There is something that I must ask of you, though I am certain you would much prefer that I did not." Harry swallowed hard, in expectation of a most unpleasant request. "Harry," Dumbledore continued, "I would like for you to continue to return to your Aunt and Uncles home each summer. At least until you graduate from Hogwarts. You, of course, understand now the reason for this. Although you may find no comfort in the protection offered by the charm I feel that it is quite necessary. You now own a home of your own, and it is a great temptation to use it as an escape from your relatives and a past that you dislike. However, you will be able to use Privet Drive as a sanctuary. A place where your safety is guaranteed, and it may give you time to relax and find some bit of peace."

Harry understood the reason for residing there, and now looked at it in a new light. _A sanctuary_, as Dumbledore had put it could be invaluable, although Harry doubted he would ever find peace or relaxation with the Dursleys. They were far to opposed to the life Harry was leading. Also he could hardly get any news of the wizarding world while he was there.

Dumbledore seemed to sense his conflict. "It need be only for a short time each year. Then I suppose it would be fine to return here."

Reluctantly Harry agreed, "I will do what I have to." Harry was confident that Uncle Vernon would be pleased with the prospect of Harry leaving his home as soon as possible each year. At this Remus and Dumbledore both smiled.

"Good, it is decided then. I believe we are expected for the meeting now. Harry if you would be so kind as to wait for us in the Dining Room until we have voted I would be grateful." Finished the Headmaster as he rose to leave the room, followed by Lupin."

Harry made his way to the dining room where he joined Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George. "Is everything alright Harry?" asked Hermione as Harry took a seat next to his friends.

"I guess so." he replied dimly. Harry noticed broad grins on the faces of the twins. "What are you two on about?" he directed at them contentedly.

"Well," started George, "We are waiting to be inducted into the order."

"Yeah, since we're of age and no longer in school Dumbledore figures it is a good idea." Finished Fred.

"I bet Mum had kittens when she heard about it." Spluttered Ron with a grin of his own.

"Actually she didn't seem too upset. I guess she knew that we would do it anyway, so she barely even argued." Replied Fred.

Hermione began to look like she was about to lose it and she started, "You know she only argues because she loves you-"

But Harry cut her off. "We know Hermione, but it is important to have all the help we can get. By the way, I need to tell you guys something." Harry's throat felt dry. He dreaded telling them, but he knew it must be done. Their reactions began to flash through his mind.

"Go on then." said Ron with a hint of impatience in his voice. This was going to be worse than Harry thought. "Well, I just finished speaking with Dumbledore. I didn't tell you before, but part of my inheritance," Harry's face fell, "was Grimmauld Place."

"Wow. That's incredible." Ron cut in.

"I'm not done Ron. As such he asked me if it they could to continue to use it as headquarters. Which I agreed to." he added the last part as he saw Ron open his mouth to start in again. "But Dumbledore said that because it is my house, I would be allowed to attend the meetings. I guess he figures that if I am at the meetings I may as well be a member of the Order. He's asking everyone else now. They are going to vote on it." Harry sighed as he finished. It felt good to be upfront with his friends, but he was still anxious about their reactions. Harry didn't have to wait long, as both Ron and Hermione's mouths dropped open.

The twins however looked as though they couldn't be happier. "That's capital mate." said George.

"Best move they could make, I think." added Fred, both with grins a mile wide.

Harry could see the jealousy flash on Ron's face, Hermione however regained her usual countenance. "Well I suppose we'll have to trust Professor Dumbledore's decision." As she finished speaking she gave Harry a brief smile.

Ron seemed to have resolved to support his friend at least. "You just better make sure you let us know what's happening. Mum has been dreadful when it comes to us trying to get information. After last June she-" Ron stopped mid-sentence when he saw Harry's eyes dart towards the door like he wanted to escape. "Sorry mate. I didn't mean to-" He couldn't find the words to finish his statement.

After a short pause it was Harry who spoke up, realizing what he was doing. "It's alright Ron, I just haven't gotten used to it." Since the end of last term his friends had avoided speaking about the night Sirius had died whenever Harry was present. The few occasions when the topic came up around him, Harry had managed to find an excuse to leave. They were relieved to see that this time at least he had not run away. "I'm just not ready to talk about it. Anyway, where's Ginny?" Harry asked trying to move the conversation in a different direction.

"Probably in bed now." answered George.

"Yeah, we've had her working pretty hard lately." finished Fred. "By the way we wanted to talk to you about the joke shop." continued Fred. He never got to expand on that thought as Mrs. Weasley had just entered the room beckoning Harry and the twins into the meeting.

"I'll see you as soon as this is over with." Harry threw over his shoulder to Ron and Hermione as he left the room.

Harry, Fred, and George followed Mrs. Weasley into a packed kitchen. The table was littered with several scrolls, some bottles of wine , and a few trays of food. "Welcome gentlemen," began Dumbledore, "please take a seat and we will fill you in. First, George and Fred, we would like to welcome you to the Order of the Phoenix." The twins grinned devilishly at each other and returned their attention to the head of the table. "Your brother Bill has agreed to bring you up to speed with the current tasks that we are carrying out. After that we will meet to discuss the duties you will be assigned." There was a brief moment where the other members congratulated Fred and George before Dumbledore resumed his dialogue. "As for you Harry, after much debate we have decided to induct you as well." Harry looked around the room and paused his glance at Snape and Mrs. Weasley, knowing where the objections to his joining had come from. Dumbledore continued, "This however is subject to the provisions that I mentioned to you earlier. Remus has volunteered to brief you as to our goings on, at a time when you have fulfilled the requirements for your membership. Also I must impress upon you three the gravity of what you are about to undertake. It is highly likely that in joining our ranks you are exposing yourself to immense danger. You are putting yourself in harm's way."

Harry nodded in acknowledgement, really though, he wasn't likely to be exposed to more danger than he was already in simply because he had joined the order. The twins were uncharacteristically solemn at the admonition of the Headmaster. "Very well, seeing that each of you understands the burden you are accepting, I now ask you to take an oath." Suddenly there was a bright flash of red and gold and a feeling of warmth overtook Harry, as he heard a familiar song being sung by the bird which had just appeared in front of them.

"Hello Fawkes." murmured Harry as the phoenix looked into his face.

"Please place your hand on the tail of Fawkes." The twins looked astonished as they rose up and gently grasped the birds tail. Harry followed suit. "Do you knowingly and willingly swear with absolute fidelity to strive against the threat of the Dark Lord and those whom serve him, and to guard our world from the evil that battles to overtake it? And to guard the secrets of this Order with your life should it be required?" "I do" Harry heard himself saying with certainty. He knew that the twins had also responded in affirmation. "Very well. You may release Fawkes. I welcome each of you as members of the Order of the Phoenix." Dumbledore finished.

Everyone took a few minutes to again congratulate the three new members of the Order. The meeting continued with a brief recount of the actions of Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Harry caught a few glimpses of veneration from some of the other members. As usual Hagrid was beaming at Harry. Harry had not noticed him sitting in a corner near the front of the room when he had first entered. Most of the information passed Harry could have guessed at, but he was none the less pleased to finally be trusted with the knowledge he was being given. Apparently Voldemort had taken to building his armies to a greater number. After his plans to retrieve the prophecy from the Ministry and remain undiscovered had failed, he needed to regroup. He had lost several of his more important Death Eaters in the attempt. He was currently devising a plan to liberate them from Azkaban, the wizard prison. Some time after midnight the meeting broke up. After shaking a few more hands Harry made his way slowly up to his bedroom.

Author's Note: Well I hope you are enjoying the story. I apologize if the chapters are too long, but I am trying to add the thoughts I feel are necessary to what these people have to deal with. Also please let me know if I am getting the character's personalities fairly accurately. I know we all have different views on each person, but if I have really messed up a personality I would prefer to correct it now when the story isn't too developed. Thanks a lot. Keep reading. R & RJeremy


	6. What Dreams May Come

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Harry Potter or any characters or places in this story, they belong to JK Rowling. I am making no money from this story.

Author's Note I wanted to say thanks to the people who reviewed. I appreciate the feedback. So to binki678, iknowall, Meiko, hu, Meg, Nayhleii, Mulledmead, and Sachigh05, Thank You. I will try to adjust to some of the suggestions you made. Let me know how I am doing.

Chapter 6 What Dreams May Come

When he entered the room he was surprised to see that Ron was already asleep. Harry had assumed that Ron and Hermione would be awake and waiting for him to return with news from the meeting. However this was not the case and Harry was glad for it. It had been a very long day and as much as he had missed his friends for the last month he was looking forward to a nice long lie in.

He slowly got changed while he pondered the days events. His thoughts drifted back to the letter from Sirius. Almost unknowingly he reached for it. He was too tired to read it and deal with the emotion that would inevitably follow, but that wouldn't stop him from having it close by him. As Harry lay down he clutched the envelope close to himself and felt loved again as he quickly fell into a deep sleep.

The first hour of sleep had passed silently for Harry, but slowly he began to slip into dreams. The most horrible memories flashed in his mind, much as they had done all summer.

Ron who was now quite used to Harry's tossing and turning wasn't surprised when he woke up to hear his friend talking in his sleep as he was reliving those thoughts in his dreams. "Oy Harry, you need to stop dreaming about that stuff." yawned Ron as he rolled over and covered his head with a pillow.

Harry had just started dreaming about the scene at the Department of Mysteries. Ron could still hear him moaning about Sirius. The dream however changed. Directly after falling through the veil Sirius stepped back through, grinning broadly and he jumped right back into the fight. Harry couldn't express the joy he felt. Bellatrix fled at the sight, and Sirius turned to Harry beaming. He had his Godfather back, he was going to- but his thought was cut off. The grin on Sirius' face disappeared. In an instant the mirth in his eyes turned to a cold glare. They became red with slits, surrounded by pale skin. Harry's own expression changed in horror. The snake-like face before him sneered at him mockingly. "Goodbye Potter." said the cold high pitched laugh as Voldemort aimed his wand at Harry.

Harry writhed in pain as his scar burst. He panicked from the torment and fell off his bed screaming in terror. Ron jumped up quickly to try to help his friend. He pinned Harry's shoulders to the floor to try and steady him. "Harry wake up! WAKE UP!" Ron yelled.

"Let me go Ron. I'm alright." muttered Harry. The screaming had ceased but Harry's hand pressed his scar the second he was able to move. It took a few minutes for Harry to open his eyes. They were watery as he sat there shaking but trying to reach for his glasses.

Ron took notice of Harry's efforts and grabbed his glasses from the nightstand for him. As he placed the spectacles in Harry's hand he asked, "You sure you're okay mate?"

"Yeah. J-Just a bad dream." Harry responded as though he was having difficulty forming words. He concentrated hard trying to remember what had happened in his dream. He cursed himself silently for not clearing his mind before he went to sleep. Ron moving back to his bed stirred Harry from his deliberation. "Thanks for that Ron. Waking me I mean." said Harry as he rubbed the palm of his hand vigorously against his forehead.

"Forget about it. Let's just get some sleep." Ron replied with another yawn. "You should probably tell Dumbledore as soon as you see him though. Goodnight Harry."

"Goodnight Ron." Harry said as he climbed back onto his own bed. The last thing he wanted was to fall asleep again though. In fact he was determined to stay awake. He waited until Ron was snoring soundly and then slid silently out of his bed. Harry guessed that it was sometime around four-thirty in the morning. He decided that a quick shower might help him sober up after his nightmare. Harry pulled a change of clothes out of his trunk, and crept quietly out of his room and down the hall into the bathroom and sealed himself inside. He turned on the water but made sure it wasn't too warm, he needed it to keep him from getting drowsy. Harry removed his robe and pajamas and stepped under the shower. The water hitting his face was a tremendous relief as it cooled the scar on his forehead. He braced himself against the shower wall and made no movements for a few minutes. Once he felt he could gain no further relief he got out and dressed for the day.

He made his way down to the kitchen and was happy to find that it was empty. He needed time to figure out what he had seen before he spoke to anyone about it.

Harry rummaged around a bit and after a few minutes was boiling some water over a small fire for tea. He also managed to find a few biscuits when an entirely new thought entered his mind. "Today is my birthday." He thought to himself. Harry was sixteen years old. This was his first birthday outside of Privet Drive. "Well, " he said to himself, "It has yet to be any better than living with the Dursley's. Maybe I can have a cake later though."

"I am sure that could be arranged." Came a familiar voice from the doorway. Harry spun around to find himself facing Mr. Weasley. "Sorry there Harry, I didn't mean to startle you. If I may be so bold as to ask, what are you doing up this early, on your birthday no less?"

Harry grinned weakly for a moment while he pondered an answer. He decided that it was probably best to tell the truth. "Well I had a nightmare I guess. I didn't feel much like going back to sleep after that."

"Understandable Harry. Is there anything I can do for you?" Mr. Weasley asked, a touch of concern lingering in his voice.

Harry had usually enjoyed the fact that Mr. And Mrs. Weasley had always treated him like a part of the family, but he didn't want to bother them with his problems. He didn't want to burden the people he cared about, and he knew that a part of him didn't want to be close to anyone just in case he lost them. "Actually I think I'm alright. I would like to talk to Dumbledore though. Do you know if he will be here today?" Harry asked as he pondered the thoughts that he just had.

"I believe he is expected around dinner. If it is important I can get in touch with him sooner if you like." Replied Mr. Weasley as he was picking up his briefcase.

"No, it can wait until this evening." Harry muttered.

"Alright then. I am off to the Ministry. Let Molly know if you need anything. I'll see you tonight Harry. Oh, and have a happy birthday." Mr. Weasley finished, and with a wave and a pop he was gone.

He smiled at the warm thought from Mr. Weasley, as he gripped his mug, and knew that he could have told him about the dream. It was foolish to think that he could protect his friends by shutting them out. The only way he knew to defend them from Voldemort was to be upfront about what was happening. The discord that seemed to follow if he closed up would only serve Voldemort. A slow burning rage swept over Harry as his thoughts turned to his enemy. How he reveled in the pain and destruction he caused. What seemed like only a moment had passed when Mrs. Weasley came into the kitchen interrupting his thinking.

"Good Morning Harry dear, its good to see you are already up and about." She said in a tired voice.

"Good Morning Mrs.-" Harry began but stopped short when he noticed an odd pain in his hand. When he looked down he saw that he had broken the mug in his hand and cut himself in the process. He guessed he had done it when his thoughts turned to Voldemort.

"Harry, what happened to your hand?" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed as she quickly wrapped it in a towel. Just then Hermione and Ginny stumbled into the kitchen and looked as if they had just woken up. They both gasped when they saw the blood that had dripped onto the table.

"It's okay. I - it's just, I broke my mug is all. It will be fine once I clean it up. Sorry for the scare." Harry stood up from the table and went over to the sink. He very much wished that they wouldn't start to fuss over him. Hoping to turn the conversation he asked "What is for breakfast?" Mrs. Weasley stared at him disbelievingly for a moment and then turned toward the cupboards to prepare something. He had just ate a few biscuits but thought he would rather eat more than talk. Remus also entered the room, followed a few minutes later by Fred and George. Everyone sat at the table while Mrs. Weasley busied herself moving around the kitchen pulling out pots and pans.

Ron made his way into the kitchen just as the food was being set on the table. "Did you get anymore sleep last night Harry?" he said pulling a plate over in front of himself. Everyone at the table looked expectantly towards Harry awaiting an answer.

"Well, actually no Ron I didn't. I thought it best if I didn't go back to sleep." Harry replied with a cold glare at Ron. If he had resolved to tell anyone about his dream he preferred to do it on his own terms. Glancing from face to face he was sure he would have to explain now. "I had another dream last night. A- a nightmare I guess. It was about Sirius." He had hoped that this brief statement would placate them, but no one had removed their gaze from his face. So, placing his fork onto his plate, he continued. "We were in the department of Mysteries and Sirius fell through the veil." Harry lowered his own eyes as the emotion poured over him. "He came back through a moment later, but then he turned into Voldemort and attacked me." he finished with a sigh.

Lupin was the first to speak as nearly everyone else was still shuddering from the name of the Dark Lord. "Are you alright Harry?"

Harry nodded his head in reply, but still couldn't look at anyone. "I'm fine, I'm fine. I just forgot to clear my mind before I laid down. I'm going to speak with Professor Dumbledore when he's here later."

It was Hermione who spoke next "That sounds like a good idea Harry, but if you want to talk to us some more we'll listen you know."

Harry knew they were still staring at him and that Hermione would keep prying until she was satisfied. There was nothing for it but to answer as best he could. Looking up he said "I know Hermione. I was just shook up from it. I'll manage alright though."

"That's not the point," cut in Ron, "you shouldn't have to manage it alone, and we're here to help you." Mrs. Weasley's expression couldn't have been prouder at her son's words, even if he was beat red after speaking.

Harry shook his head again as he looked at his friends' faces. "Thanks for the support, all of you. It means a lot to me. I know you want to help me, but I'm the only one who can control what's in my head, but knowing that I can depend on you comforts me." he finished with a yawn. "So anyway, what are we doing today?" This statement seemed to evoke more shock than the tale of his dream. "What, what's the matter?" Harry asked taken aback by their reaction.

"Harry dear," choked out Mrs. Weasley, "We're celebrating your birthday today of course. You didn't expect us to pass up this opportunity for a party did you?" With that Harry grinned and began to eat.


	7. One Long Day

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Harry Potter or any characters or places in this story, they belong to JK Rowling. I am making no money from this story.  
  
Chapter 7 One Long Day  
  
Shortly after breakfast the twins set off for work. They had given Ginny the day off so she could spend time with the others. While Mrs. Weasley cleaned up Hermione suggested that they plan out their day. "Well Harry, Happy Birthday." She said as she gave him a squeeze and a quick peck on the cheek. Harry grinned sheepishly while the color rose on his face and his mouth opened slightly in shock. He hadn't expected that. "You didn't think we forgot did you?" Hermione continued. "So what would you like to do today?"  
  
"To be quite honest I only remembered this morning myself." Harry said as everyone laughed quietly at his words. The group looked at Harry hopefully. It was the first time in months they had seen him smile or heard anything but remorse in his voice.  
  
"Well Harry I suppose I could make a cake for later if you like." Mrs. Weasley put in as the laughter died down a little. Harry felt the day was full of promise. She gave him a hug too. He laughed inwardly at how well she had guessed his desire.  
  
"Oh and before I forget dear," she continued, "Dumbledore asked me to remind you that Kreacher is still here. He could not be sent away, and Albus was sure that you would be upset if you saw Kreacher. So he has been told to stay in a room on the third floor where he will be out of everyone's way. I know you don't want him here, but if he gives you a problem you just let me know." The sudden reminder brought a rush of hatred forward in Harry's mind. Still as long as he didn't have to see the little traitor, everything would be okay. Harry forced his mind to other thoughts, unwilling to start the day in a bad mood.  
  
Harry was just happy to be with his friends for his birthday. It didn't matter much to him what they did as long as they were together, and he thought it best to do things that they could all enjoy. He might have asked to play Quidditch if they were at the burrow but there wasn't enough room here. In the end they decided to play some games for awhile. Harry indicated that he was interested in exploring the library later, much to Hermione's delight. Ron rolled his eyes but stopped dead when he saw she was looking at him. Ron jumped up and said "Why don't I go and get the games and meet you in the drawing room? Want to help me Mione?" It was an odd request Harry thought but Hermione readily agreed.  
  
"Why does he need help getting the games?" Harry thought to himself, but they were gone before he could ask. He looked quizzically from Ginny to Mrs. Weasley who were both grinning a little. It dawned on Harry that his friends had grown much closer, and perhaps they were accepting their feelings for each other. He smiled quietly and decided to go wait for them in the drawing room.  
  
"Due try and have a good time." Mrs. Weasley called after him as he got up from the table and left for the room.  
  
"Wait for me Harry." Ginny said just as he made it to the steps. She caught him up and pulled him into a short embrace. "Happy Birthday Harry." she said as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. Harry was blushing profusely as Ginny smiled at him. She didn't seem to notice though. "Come on, let's have a look around while we wait for them." she said while she tugged on his arm, dragging him up the stairs.  
  
"It must be a girl thing." he mumbled to himself and they entered the drawing room and threw themselves into some chairs. After Ron and Hermione came back they spent the morning laughing and playing games. Even Remus joined them for a game of gobstones. Despite the fun Harry had to shake himself a few times when he found his thoughts wandering towards memories his Godfather. "He would want me to have fun." he said to himself. Although the thoughts never entirely left him Harry found it easy to enjoy himself while he was surrounded by his friends. Mrs. Weasley called everyone for lunch in the early afternoon, and afterwards they adjourned to the Library.  
  
The room he had visited last night with Professor Dumbledore and Lupin seemed to grow in the light that shimmered through the two tall windows on one end of the room although the overall tone of the library was deep and dark in color. Aside from the table and chairs in the center of the circular room there was a desk set against the wall near the door. Also there was a fireplace opposite the windows with a sofa centered in front of it. It appeared that until recently there had been some sort of portrait hanging above the mantelpiece. The book shelves surrounding the walls stretched to the ceiling. There was a ladder that ran on wheels around the room to access the top shelves. The sun shining through the windows played upon the dust that seemed to dance throughout the space. The vast number of texts was overwhelming, Harry was sure that Hermione would be content to spend a great deal of time in here.  
  
Harry had stopped just inside the door and wondered if Sirius had spent much time in here reading. He could picture his Godfather sitting in one of the large cozy chairs musing to himself over the volumes late at night. Ginny tugging on his arm stirred Harry from his brief reverie. "Are you alright Harry?" she asked. But Harry only turned his head and looked at her blankly.   
  
"Is something the matter?" Hermione broke in. They were all looking at him anxiously.  
  
"What? Oh, no. I was just thinking, about Sirius." Harry said stoically. "It's nothing really. I'm fine." The look on their faces told Harry that they didn't believe him, but he had really meant it. It hadn't been a sad thought, it was perhaps even comforting to think of Sirius like that. "Honestly, I'm alright. Come on why don't we grab a few books and sit down?" This sounded like a good idea, especially to Hermione. So after a few minutes of examining the different books they each selected one and sat on the couch and began to leaf through their choices. There was a wide selection which included a few muggle books, which Harry found odd in the home of a pure-blooded wizard family.   
  
After about an hour of reading Harry began to get bored and decided to have a look at some of the things around the room. Ron shared the same thought and volunteered to fetch some tea. Hermione surprisingly set aside her book to go help him.  
  
A few moments passed while Harry examined the desk near the door. When he looked up he noticed that Ginny had stopped reading as well. She had been staring at him when he looked up, but quickly turned her gaze to the fireplace. "This place is pretty interesting isn't it." he sighed, trying to break the awkward silence. "So how is the joke shop coming along? I hope your brothers aren't overworking you." Harry continued in an attempt to strike up a conversation.  
  
Ginny returned her eyes to meet his, "Well actually the business is doing great. It is a lot of work, but at least working with those two is fun. Anyway, how have you been doing? I mean this summer can't have been easy for you with-" Her voiced trembled a bit with apprehension.  
  
"It's okay to say it Ginny. Look I know you are all worried about me. It hurts to think about him sometimes, but I'm getting better. I think about Sirius a lot. I guess that he wouldn't want me to mope around all the time. I didn't want to come here at all, I thought it would just make the pain worse, but I'm not sure now. It makes it easier to think of some good memories of him."   
  
Harry hadn't flinched at all as he spoke, but there was a sadness in his eyes that made Ginny quail. He was not the same boy he had been a few years ago. Yet there was still the same soft spirit about him. She didn't respond for a moment as they continued to look at each other. When she spoke she started cautiously, "I don't know if I can help you with what you are feeling, but I, we, all want to help. The night he d- died, we followed you because we believe in you Harry. I feel safe around you, and we trust you." She stopped short as it looked like she had struck a nerve. A frown flashed briefly across Harry's face, but she wasn't sure what she had said wrong.  
  
"I know everyone trusts me, and everything, but I'm not sure that you should. Maybe I just need to work past this but it seems that the people around me always get hurt." He put up his hand to stop her before she could respond, "I am beginning to realize it isn't my fault, but that doesn't change the fact that it happens." At that moment Ron and Hermione came back with the tea, and looked at him inquiringly. He tensed as he began to feel that it was time to come clean with his friends. "Look, I have something to tell you guys. It isn't easy for me to say or for you to hear. I just ask for a little patience while I tell you and then you can ask me whatever you want." he finished with a sense a determination.  
  
"Alright then, what's your news?" said Ron who gave an apprehensive look at his best friend.  
  
"Sit down and I'll tell you." Harry said fixedly. As they all took a seat he began, hoping to be able to finish without breaking down. "I know what was in the prophecy." Harry said it quickly trying to get the initial shock out of the way. Both of the girls gasped, but he continued so as to avoid any questions. "The night we returned from the Ministry, Dumbledore had me in his office. The orb was only a recording of the prophecy. He was present when it was made, so he is able to recall what it said, and he told me what it contained. It told of the birth of the person who could defeat Voldemort, which is why he was so interested in the prophecy." Harry went on to recall the full details of the prophecy in detail, as his friends looked on in horror. "So you see, when Voldemort attacked me as a baby, he chose me as his enemy. Now I am the one who has to beat him, or, he will- he'll kill me, but we can't both go on living." Harry finished in a very somber tone. His friends looked at him stunned and crestfallen. Harry couldn't bear the lack of response.  
  
It wasn't Hermione or even Ron who broke the silence, but rather Ginny. "We still believe in you Harry." She spoke tenderly but resolutely. Hermione nodded in agreement as silent tears were forming in her eyes.  
  
"Er, Harry, do you reckon you have any good luck at all?" asked Ron who was decidedly uncomfortable, but obviously couldn't think of anything better to say.  
  
Harry grinned half-heartedly. "You know what Ron, I don't suppose I do." he replied trying to make light of the situation. Harry had barely come to terms with the contents of the prophecy himself but felt relief in sharing his burden with his friends. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I- I just couldn't deal with it, and I didn't know how you would take it."  
  
"Well what did you expect, for us to turn our backs on you? Honestly Harry you should know better." retorted Hermione who had found her voice. "I mean I understand not being able to cope with that knowledge, but we're your friends, you can always count on us you prat." She grinned weakly as she finished, and leaned over to give Harry a hug. Hermione was one of the few people who could make him feel both better and worse at the same time. Harry felt his own eyes watering up, as Ginny came over to join the embrace. "Oh Ron, get over here you idiot." Hermione managed to choke out, and so he closed his arms around the group, and the sat for what seemed like forever.  
  
Eventually they broke apart, but remained seated closely together. The weight of what they had been told settled in and the mood of the group changed to a pensive silence. After a moment of resigning to their own thoughts Ron spoke up, "So what do we plan on doing? I mean Dumbledore has a plan right?"  
  
Harry shook his head. "If he does he hasn't told me yet. I'm sure if he does then he'll tell me when he needs to. I know that I'm not ready though. If you could have seen it when they dueled in the atrium, I mean I didn't know that those things were even possible."  
  
"I suppose that means we'll have to train really hard to get you ready Harry." Ginny put in, smiling somberly at him.  
  
"Have you given any thought to continuing the DA? I mean that was really helpful wasn't it?" Hermione added.  
  
Harry pondered the question for a moment. "I hadn't thought about it, but I guess I would like to continue. We can ask Professor Dumbledore when he gets here tonight." Their conversation continued on about the different spells they could work on, and who would be included in the group if they were allowed to continue meeting, though it never strayed to the difficulty of what Harry was facing, or how each of them viewed the situation. An hour or so later they were called for dinner and so they left for the kitchen.  
  
Author's Note: Sorry about the irregular updates, I was having a problem choosing an order for the story, I think I was crowding too much into each chapter. Anyway I think I have it spaced out better, and have a more direct idea now of where we are headed. Thanks Ater Black for the review. Keep sending more. Let me know if the characters are in line, or anything else that you notice. Thanks.  
  
Jeremy 


	8. The Party

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Harry Potter or any characters or places in this story, they belong to JK Rowling. I am making no money from this story.  
  
Chapter 8 The Party  
  
Upon entering the kitchen they found that Mrs. Weasley had put up a few decorations. There was a small gathering, besides the people who were staying at the house, including Professor Dumbledore, Tonks, Mad Eye Moody, and Kingsley Shacklebolt. Mrs. Weasley had outdone herself with the meal she had prepared. The conversation struck up a merry tone as everyone began to eat. When they finished and the table had been cleared Mrs. Weasley produced a birthday cake much to everyone's delight. It had sixteen candles and read "Happy Birthday Harry" in icing that seemed to change colors. After a chorus of "Happy Birthday" in which it seemed the twins were the loudest, the group turned and awaited Harry's wish.  
  
He closed his eyes and concentrated on what to wish for. His birthday was usually a trivial event that he celebrated alone. This year he was surrounded by all the people he loved. "Well almost everyone." he thought to himself. Even still, He knew that this was a special event. The thing he wanted most was to protect his friends from Voldemort. He couldn't risk losing anyone else. He wouldn't let the pain and death touch them as it had him. So he took yet another burden unto himself, wishing resolutely, and blew out the candles.  
  
After the cake came presents that seemed to form a mountain on the table in the drawing room. There was a grateful smile on his face as Harry began to tear open the packages. Mr. And Mrs. Weasley gave him a long thin box, which held the hand of a clock. Examining it closer he recognized that it had his name on it. "It is to go on the clock in our home Harry," said Mr. Weasley with a look of pride. "Truly you are a part of our family." Mrs. Weasley eyes had already welled up, and Harry wasn't far behind.  
  
"I don't know what to say. This means so much to me." Harry said as he got up and gave them both a hug.  
  
From Hermione he received a peculiar gift for a wizard. He had been expecting a book or some such thing, but this was nothing of the sort. He pulled from the package what looked like a muggle cd player. He looked to her with a mingled expression of gratitude and uncertainty. It wasn't the first time she had surprised him with her gift, she had after all given him a broom servicing kit once.  
  
She seemed to read his mind and spoke up before he could ask, "I know that electric devices don't work at Hogwarts, so I asked Fred and George if they could charm it to play music while you are there. They seemed to work it out. It will still play muggle cd's as well, just not while you are at school." she finished.  
  
"Thanks Hermione, it's great." Harry replied with a wide grin across his face. Mr. Weasley had perked up a bit at the sight of the muggle device and was staring at it intently. Harry noticed and passed the gift over to him and asked Hermione to explain it. He opened Ron's gift next, which was an assortment of sweets, including a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans. The twins had given him a package containing some of their latest products, which Harry eyed suspiciously. He made a mental note not to use any of the items until he had asked them what the effects of each item were. There was a small package from Dobby the house elf, which, Harry correctly guessed, contained a pair of socks. A pair of mismatched socks.   
  
Next came a gift from Professor Dumbledore. It was an odd notion that the Headmaster of his school was at his birthday party, let alone that he had received a gift from his mentor. Opening the silvery wrapping paper Harry found that it held a pensieve. Harry looked at his Headmaster in awe. Oddly enough, inside the magical device was a pair of wool socks. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with joy as he gave Harry a knowing look and a small wink. Harry thought back for a moment to his first year when Dumbledore found that Harry had discovered The Mirror of Erised. Harry asked his professor what he saw when looking into the mirror, which showed a person's greatest desire, and Dumbledore responded that he saw himself with a pair of warm socks. Harry chuckled inwardly and nodded in appreciation.  
  
Ginny gave him two presents. The first was a set of enchanted pictures of Harry and the Weasley family, which must have been taken before the Quidditch World Cup, and Harry with his two best friends in the Gryffindor common room. The second was a small box. Enclosed was a Golden Snitch engraved with his initials. He managed to whisper a thank you across the room.  
  
Harry received a book on Auror training from Kingsley and Tonks, and Moody gave him a small mirror. It was a foe glass. "Best you have something like this boy, no doubt it will come in handy with the amount of trouble you attract." the mangled ex-Auror growled with a frightening smile.  
  
The final present was from Remus Lupin. This gift was also wrapped in a small box. "Well open it up then," said Remus with a smirk, "I promise it won't bite." Harry glanced awkwardly at his former professor before opening the box. Inside Harry found two gold bands that were identical except for their size. This was another gift that would require some explanation. "They belonged to your parents Harry. It's their wedding rings." Lupin explained as the room fell silent. "When they died they were left in Sirius' care. I believe he was waiting for the right time to give them to you."  
  
For the second time that night Harry was left speechless. He removed the small bands from their velvet encasing, gently running his fingers over the smooth metal. Here was something from both his parents and Sirius. A shadow of grief passed over his face before he smiled shakily. How could something feel so precious and yet hurt so much. Looking around the room he felt choked, something that was welling up inside him. His eyes rested on each person, his family. Harry knew that the words to describe how he felt did not exist. Today was not just the best birthday he had ever had; it was perhaps the best day of his life. He knew that he was loved, that he meant something to the people gathered here. Harry was generally very close with his emotions, but there was nothing for it. He stood up from his chair and proceeded to embrace each person in the room, quite a task considering Moody, Ron, and the twins. As he released Lupin he rounded on the group, "This is the most anyone has ever done for me. Thank you."  
  
Dumbledore nodded to Mrs. Weasley who left the room and returned a moment later with a tray of glasses filled with a bubbly liquid. After passing around the goblets Dumbledore raised his in the air and said, "To Harry, Happy Birthday."  
  
"To Harry!" chorused around the room and everyone drank fully from their goblets. Harry grinned shyly as he drained his own cup.  
  
It was still early in the evening so another round was poured. A chatter soon filled the room as the merriment continued. Harry broke off into conversation with his friends and the different guests, though he was still overwhelmed with emotion.  
  
Fred and George managed to sneak Harry off into a corner for a few minutes to discuss their business. They had wanted to pay Harry back for his original investment. He refused any payment but made them promise to keep up the jokes; he knew that soon enough he would be desperate for a good laugh. They gave him their solemn promise, and pledge to keep him in stock of their latest inventions.  
  
A short while later Harry joined Hermione, Ron, and Ginny who were speaking quietly with Professor Dumbledore and Lupin. "Harry," started his former teacher, "these three were just telling us that you were interested in continuing with your defense group. Is it true?" Lupin seemed to regard Harry with pride.  
  
So taking his seat Harry answered, "Yes. Well that is if it would be allowed. It was pretty successful last term, and most of the members would probably be willing to continue. What do you think Professor?"  
  
"I think, Harry, that it is an excellent idea. The better prepared our students are to face what is ahead, the better I will sleep at night." Dumbledore said, looking pleased at the idea. "I would ask however, that you consider including more students in the group, and that you allow a Professor to review each lesson you are presenting. Otherwise, I see no reason that you should not continue." he finished with a polite smile and a hint of satisfaction in his voice.  
  
"Thank you sir. It may be difficult to get other people to join but we'll try. I'm not sure which Professor to ask though. We'll need to think about that." Harry responded.  
  
Dumbledore nodded and spoke again, "I am fully confident that you will do well. If there is any help that I may offer once the term has started and you are ready to begin, feel free to ask me. Now then Harry, I suppose we should begin to consider your other extracurricular lessons for this term. Aside from Quidditch which I am sure you will wish to continue now that your ban has been lifted," Dumbledore paused for a moment to take in the excitement on Harry's face, "I believe that I have also mentioned continuing Occlumency lessons. Which of course was the reason for the gift, a pensieve of your own should make your lessons easier, as well as allow you time to sort through some of the things you are dealing with, but unless I am much mistaken you have already found some outlet for such burdens." Dumbledore turned his glance on the other three students who had been listening intently.  
  
Harry took the hint at his friends' knowledge of the Prophecy. "Yes sir. I told them this afternoon. I owed it to my friends after they risked so much for me in June. I probably should have asked you first though." Harry said quietly.  
  
Dumbledore redirected his gaze on Harry. "You know the importance of the prophecy Harry, and I trust your decision. I would caution you however, knowledge of this secret puts a mark on each of you. It would be wise to hide the fact that you know anything more than the fact that it existed. Few people in the Order have been privy to the contents, as exposure of the information would be terribly dangerous, especially to Harry." The group nodded their understanding. They continued to discuss some of the extra studies that Harry would be doing while at school, including defense and dueling. Some time later the party broke up much to everyone's dismay. Those who were leaving did so, while the others headed to bed.  
  
Ron, Hermione, and Harry stayed in the room silently gazing at the fire. It had been a rather long day, but none of them were quite ready to sleep, but they did not have the energy to do much else either. So they were contented to remain peacefully in each other's company, stretched out on the furniture. Harry had been musing to himself about what a great day he had when Hermione poked him in the arm. "I said Harry, would you like another glass of wine?" she repeated in an amused manner.  
  
He stirred slowly from his thoughts and answered, "Yeah, I suppose I would thanks." He considered his friends as he accepted the glass. Looking briefly at their faces he smiled, knowing how much they meant to him. They spent the remainder of the night like that, drinking wine and talking occasionally, until one by one they drifted of to sleep several hours later. 


	9. OWLs and Hippogriffs

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Harry Potter or any characters or places in this story, they belong to JK Rowling. I am making no money from this story.  
  
Chapter 9 O.W.L.s and Hippogriffs  
  
August was passing quickly by. Grimmauld Place was filled with the usual comings and goings of the Order. Life there had become routine as the students had regular chores and had taken to a bit of extra studying in the library. Luckily there had been very little seen or heard from Kreacher. Harry still felt a great deal of anger at how the elf had betrayed Sirius in June. Of course Harry, as the house elf's new master had ordered him to continue to stay in a room on the third floor and not do anything without permission.  
  
Aside from the limited information they received from the Order meetings, the three friends were left with little to think about. This changed in the second week of the month however, as O.W.L. results arrived in the post. Harry was savoring the lingering remnants of a well-earned sleep when the door to his room was thrown wide by a squealing Hermione. Harry covered his face with a pillow to shield it from the light stealing in through the open door. He had suffered through another night of terrible nightmares, having slept uneasily for only a couple of hours. Ron's groaning gave a voice to exactly how Harry felt. "Come on Hermione there are people trying to sleep in here. Besides what if we weren't decent when you came storming in?" he said groggily.  
  
"Oh like that would bother you." she retorted to a bright faced Ron.  
  
Finally Harry sat up and turned his weary eyes towards his friends "You know what Hermione, maybe I'll start sleeping starkers, then we'll see just who's bothered." he said with a smirk to a now equally red faced Hermione. "Anyway what's the big deal, I was finally getting some rest before you barged in, I hope it's important."  
  
"Oh sorry about that Harry, but it is important. The O.W.L. results just came and Mrs. Weasley told me to come get you both up." she said cheerfully.  
  
"Sure, your sorry for waking Harry up, but what am I, chopped liver?" Ron said with mock indignation.  
  
Hermione turned to Ron with a shocked expression on her face, "I am so sorry to have offended you my lord," she said with a curtsy, "however can I make it up to you, Ronniekins?" She ducked with another squeal as Ron flung his pillow at her and laughed running from the room. "Hurry up and get down here, I can't wait much longer." Hermione called over her shoulder as she disappeared out the door.  
  
A few minutes later Harry and Ron were dressed and entered the kitchen. It was around 8:30 in the morning and breakfast was waiting on the table for them. Upon sitting down Mrs. Weasley thrust their envelopes into each of their hands, while Hermione stared at them expectantly. Deciding they wouldn't be able to eat in peace until they opened their letters they tore open the envelopes. Harry read quickly through the first sheet:  
  
"Dear Mr. Potter,  
  
Enclosed you will find the results of your O.W.L. examinations, as well as a list with which to select the courses in which you would like to enlist for the Newt level courses. Please complete the form and return it to me as soon as possible. I apologize for the delayed return of these results, however due to recent events the Ministry of Magic has been quite occupied  
  
Also included is the list of supplies for the year. Please purchase the books necessary for the courses you have selected, as well as any supplies specific to those courses. Students in fourth year and above will be allowed to attend a holiday ball this year. Those students who plan on attending will need dress robes for the occasion. Please note that the school year will begin on September 1st. You are required to board the Hogwarts Express at eleven o'clock at the Kings Cross station, platform nine and three-quarters.  
  
Yours Sincerely  
  
Minerva McGonagall  
  
Minerva McGonagall,  
  
Deputy Headmistress  
  
Harry flipped to the next page but before he could read it Ron snatched it from his hand. Apparently he was finished reading his own and had grown more impatient than Hermione. "Well let's see how our boy did." he said smirking at Hermione as he leaned over next to her to share their friends scores. She giggled lightly and rolled her eyes at him, but read Harry's results just the same.  
  
"Wow Harry, you did really good." Hermione said beaming at him.  
  
"Yeah mate, better than me anyway. Although you probably could have done better in Divination, you should have studied more." admonished Ron jokingly.  
  
"Yeah, well, even you could have predicted that we would fail that one." Harry chortled. Ron's face turned the usual crimson at the retort. "Anyway, what were the rest of my scores," he continued emphasizing the last words, "Seeing as you won't allow me to read them for myself."  
  
Hermione cleared her throat and began ticking the scores off the list, "Charms; Theory O, Practical O, Transfiguration; Theory E, Practical O, Herbology; Theory O, Practical O, Defense Against the Dark Arts; Theory O, Practical O+, Potions; Theory O, Practical O, Care of Magical Creatures; Theory O, Practical O, Astronomy; Theory E, Practical A, Divination; Theory A, Practical P, History of Magic; Theory P. For a grand total of 7 O.W.L.s. I got 11 myself."  
  
"Well how did you do Ron?" Harry asked as his best friend had become suddenly quiet.  
  
"I, umm, you see-" Ron began to splutter, but Hermione finished for him, "He did nearly as well as you did, 8 O.W.L.s, but not nearly as many out standings, and he only received an acceptable in Potions so he won't be allowed to take Newt Level." Ron looked at the floor slightly abashed by the brutal appraisal of his performance.  
  
"Still that's really good Ron." Harry added in defense of his friend. "Actually you got more O.W.L.s than I did." Hermione took the point and nodded in agreement while she smiled at Ron.  
  
With that Ron picked up his head with a bit of pride, "Yeah, I guess I did. Anyway, we better get our course lists filled out and return them now. I wonder if we are going to be allowed to go to Diagon Alley to get our supplies or not."  
  
"Actually Professor Dumbledore thought it best if I go for you. He said it would be best to act with a little caution." Mrs. Weasley put in. "Fill out your lists, and leave them here on the table and I'll get your things this afternoon." she finished disappearing into the hallway.  
  
After breakfast they all completed the forms to select the courses they wanted, and left a list of the school supplies they would need for the year on the table. Then Harry decided that it would be a good time to feed Buckbeak, the hippogriff. He had taken to the chore, left in his Godfathers absence, as it allowed him a bit of time to himself when he needed it, and the creature was a gentle reminder of Sirius. Ron and Hermione decided to spend a little time in the library, Hermione had said she needed to begin studying for her lesson this year.  
  
So Harry made his way up to the attic where the hippogriff lived, carrying a bag of dead rats along with him. When he entered the room he set the bag down and bowed to buckbeak, while keeping eye contact, forcing himself not to blink. Buckbeak immediately dropped a knee to him, as Harry had been a regular visitor, the creature already trusted him, but Harry continued with the proprieties. Seeing Buckbeak's consent Harry reached over and began to pet the back of his head. "How are you feeling today?" he greeted the creature.  
  
An hour or so passed with Harry feeding the rats to Buckbeak. Being alone here gave him the time he needed to think. Although he was sure that his friends knew he had taken to brooding in solitude, by now Harry had become almost dependent on this time of uninterrupted reflection. He was able to sort through his memories with a sort of forced detachment. He could control his emotions, but only with a great show of will. Today was hardly an exception. Slowly his mind worked its way to the events of the previous year. Once again his finger was found to be tracing the scar on his forehead. Unexpectedly, the door to the attic opened and Ginny came quietly into the room. "Hey Gin, what's going on?" Harry said figuring that she had been sent to tell him something.  
  
"Oh, Harry it's you. Sorry I didn't know anyone was up here. I'll just go." She said and began turning for the door. Harry had noticed however that she seemed to be on the verge of tears.  
  
"Wait, Ginny are you alright?" he asked in a tone of gentle concern.  
  
Turning back toward him she smiled briefly, almost shyly. "I- I was looking to be alone for a bit. I'm alright though, thanks." she said in a small voice.  
  
Harry wasn't sure what to do, she was obviously upset about something. "Now when have you ever believed that when I said it? You are not alright, and it appears that you are a bad liar besides." Harry said to try to get her to smile a little, which he did. He knew full well that she was a good liar when she wanted to be, remembering several occasions where she had duped Mrs. Weasley into overlooking mischief that would usually have drawn a verbal lashing. "Look, I understand if you don't want to talk about it, but that doesn't mean that you have to be alone. You know with all the times people have tried to force me to talk about things, I just can't bring myself to do it to anyone else. So we can talk about anything else if you want, or just sit here quietly. It won't bother me at all if that's what you were thinking." Harry finished with a fixed sparkle in his eyes.  
  
Ginny stifled a sob and moved over near Harry and sat down. "I don't really want to talk about it, but I suppose I could use the company." she said weakly as a tear escaped from where it was tremulously perched a moment before. "Thank you Harry."  
  
"Hey after all you've done for me, this is the least I can do. I am at your service." he finished with a mock bow, to which they both grinned. "Honestly though, if you decide later that you do want to talk about it, I'll listen." She simply nodded, and they spent the next few hours in relative silence, each contemplating the troubles of their friend. Surprisingly, Harry found that it was exactly what he needed. Sitting there wondering what was troubling Ginny took his mind off of his own sorrows.  
  
It was somewhere around four-thirty in the afternoon when they heard a commotion coming from downstairs and decided to investigate. Emerging from their seclusion they ran down to the kitchen to find several members of the Order panting heavily, and Ron and Hermione staring quizzically at the group.  
  
Author's Note: Okay, sorry if that Harry and Ginny bit seemed cheesy, but I wanted to have some justification instead of just slapping them together as a couple. Anyway, I hope to make up for the lack of action in the next chapter or two. Stay tuned.  
  
Jeremy 


	10. Outbreaks

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Harry Potter or any characters or places in this story, they belong to JK Rowling. I am making no money from this story.  
  
Chapter 10 Outbreaks  
  
"What happened, is everyone alright?" Harry asked with a fearful glance at his friends.  
  
It was Bill Weasley who spoke up first. "I am pretty sure everyone is okay. There was an attack in Diagon Alley a little while ago. There were several explosions, but we were able to react quickly enough to prevent any severe injury or damage from being done." he looked around for a second trying to account for everyone. "It looks as if Lupin was the only one injured."  
  
"What?" exclaimed the group of teens. "No! Where is he? What happened?" Harry demanded.  
  
"Nothing lasting I am thankful to be able to tell you." came a calm voice from the doorway behind them. "I cannot however say as much for the effects of the attack however." Albus Dumbledore moved toward the table in his usual manner and motioned for everyone to have a seat. Mr. And Mrs. Weasley, the twins, Bill, Moody, Mundungus, Dedalus Diggle, Hestia Jones, and several wizards Harry had met only briefly all took their seats as Dumbledore continued. "I instructed Hagrid to accompany Remus to Hogwarts to see Madam Pomfrey. He was hit by several stunning spells, however he should be up and about later this evening I believe. As for the reasoning behind the attack I am awaiting Severus and Kingsley for their reports. However, unless I am much mistaken, the attack on Diagon Alley was only a cover to allow for a breakout from Azkaban. With the Auror's being pulled away to defend the civilians at Diagon Alley, there would be no one left to help prevent the escape from the prison. Unfortunately I expect that the guard at the prison is where the heaviest casualties will be." With that most everyone in the room sighed.  
  
After a few minutes of silence passed Mr. Weasley stood up. "Well I suppose I should get back to the office. They'll probably be needing some extra help regardless of the outcome of the attacks." With that He kissed his wife on the cheek gave his children a squeeze, and disapparated. Bill shared similar thoughts and also left. A shaky Molly Weasley started to make tea but Hermione took over when Molly began to spill the water. Fred and George helped their mother to her seat both looking quite solemn. Harry on the other hand sat brooding on the events. Was the attack planned to get at him and his friends as well, did Voldemort somehow expect that they would be in Diagon Alley today. What if this was another attempt to get Harry, and now Lupin was now hurt. Was this his fault too? He could feel the rage coursing through his veins. He cursed Voldemort inwardly. Nothing but a coward who attacks when people are weaker than he is, Harry thought savagely to himself. Slowly his eyes wandered around the room until they met with Dumbledore's. He nodded his head slightly to confirm Harry's fear, aside from freeing Death Eaters from Azkaban, the attack had been planned with the hopes of capturing Harry.  
  
"Sir if it is okay I think I would like go upstairs and think." Harry spoke in a low detached murmur.   
  
Dumbledore gazed quietly at Harry for a moment; the shimmer in his eyes was still present but very much subdued. "Certainly Harry, if you feel you must. However, I wish for you to return for dinner. Afterwards I believe we will be having a meeting that you should attend." Harry nodded his head in agreement and left the room without a second glance. Had he turned for a moment he would have seen the concerned looks passing among his friends. However he did not, and once he stepped into the hallway he made sprinted up the stairs, hoping to outrun the dread that was filling him. But there wasn't very far he could run inside the house. He couldn't escape the responsibility he felt. Here he was, the reason that someone else he cared about had been hurt. Only recently had he begun to understand that it was not his fault, but it was too easy to fall back into blaming himself. On the third floor as he stopped running a door opened on his right, and Kreacher stepped out into the hall. "The young master is out of breath, and he looks upset," the house elf mumbled to himself. "Perhaps someone else has died."  
  
Kreacher had found the exact words that Harry had been fighting against at precisely the wrong moment. The words had not finished leaving Kreacher's mouth and Harry's anger burst forth. He grabbed the aged elf by the throat and pinned him to the wall. "You were told to stay in this room and keep your foul mouth closed!" Harry roared as he squeezed tighter.   
  
"Yes Master." gagged Kreacher. "I must do as master commands, even though poor Kreacher has done nothing wrong." The statement only managed to further enrage Harry. Tears forming in his eyes he cast the traitorous elf down a flight of stairs. Kreacher landed with a dull thud, but continued to speak as if no one else was present. "Master is just like his Godfather, so cruel to poor Kreacher, but my mistress would be proud at how I dealt with him." Kreacher spat malevolently. Harry didn't need any further provocation and advanced down the stairs to seize the elf again. His eyes burned as the salty fire streamed down his face. Just as Harry reached the landing and drew back his fist to strike the now cowering form of the elf somebody yelled and rushed in front of him pushing him bodily backward. Struggling to free himself from the tangle of red hair and arms he began to breakdown, but heard Kreacher's voice vaguely from across the hall, and it didn't matter what he had said. With renewed ferocity Harry pushed his way toward the loathsome creature.  
  
Ginny's voice broke somewhere from underneath Harry's chin. "Kreacher get back to your room now!" she shouted at him.  
  
"Must I take orders from the blood traitors now as well? Poor Kreacher, what would my mistress say now if she could see her home?" He said audibly to himself. Nonetheless he was already mounting the stairs.  
  
He hadn't moved quick enough though and Harry was able to catch him with a kick in the rear end sending the elf up a few extra steps and out of reach. "You will do whatever she tells you, and don't ever let me hear your filthy mouth again." Harry growled. Ginny managed to pin Harry to the wall with great difficulty as the house elf finally retreated around the corner.  
  
She looked questioningly into his eyes, "What the hell was that all about Harry? What's gotten into you?" she asked.  
  
Harry couldn't respond, realizing what he had just done. He looked fearfully into her face. How could he explain what he was feeling? The tears in his eyes renewed themselves. He shook his head before completely breaking down; he pulled Ginny into a hug. "I- I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to, but he said-" Harry had at least started to try to explain himself, but the disturbance had drawn the attention of the crowd downstairs and a few of the people had come to investigate, and he stopped short, looking quickly in the other direction.  
  
Ginny continued to cradle him and tried to shoo the others away. Everyone else took the hint, but Ron and Hermione continued walking up to them. "It's okay Harry," she said, "Professor Dumbledore asked me to make sure you were alright. He thought that you might be blaming yourself."  
  
As Ron began to speak Harry buried his head deep into Ginny's shoulder seemingly impersonating an owl. "What is going on up here? Is everything alright Harry?" he questioned, but received only a glare from his sister.  
  
"Kreacher said something to upset Harry, and Harry, reacted badly." Ginny replied trying not to make it sound too terrible. The look of horror on Hermione's face told her that she didn't do a good job.  
  
"Oh Harry, you didn't?" said Hermione disbelievingly.  
  
"Oh yes I did." Harry retorted rather louder than he had meant to. "You didn't hear him, you don't know, you can't." Harry began but fell short again, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He still hadn't lifted his head. He didn't want anyone to see him like this.  
  
Ron spoke next trying to reassure his best friend. "Okay Harry, just forget about it, I'm sure that whatever happened he deserved it. Come on, it's about time for dinner now anyway. You'll feel better after you eat." he said while he pulled on Hermione's hand before she tried to respond.  
  
"Alright, go ahead and I'll be down in a few minutes." Harry replied. His friends turned to leave but as Ginny turned to follow them Harry grabbed her around the waist and held her close. "Please," he whispered in her ear, "Just wait until they are downstairs." he said in a pleading voice. "They can't see me like this."  
  
"It's okay Harry. I'll stay." she said in a soothing voice and put her arms around his neck, gently running her fingers through the hair on the back of his head. "So do you want to tell me about what happened? If you prefer to wait it's no problem, I'll understand."  
  
Harry was calming down. Perhaps it was the lack of a target for his frustrations, or maybe the comfort he felt as Ginny held him, he wasn't sure. Quietly he looked up, and stared into her eyes, "If it's okay I'd rather wait to talk about it. I wasn't quite myself when I ran into that little monster." he said lowering his eyes as his breathing returned to normal. "Besides, I'm dead hungry. I haven't eaten since breakfast." Harry finished, forcing a hollow smile spread across his lips.  
  
Ginny surveyed him for a few minutes, making sure that he was truly alright. "Well then, let's go eat. But you better tell me tomorrow, or I'll hex you into next year." she replied in a mock serious voice. With that they headed down to the kitchen for dinner. 


	11. Good Graces

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Harry Potter or any characters or places in this story, they belong to JK Rowling. I am making no money from this story.  
  
Author's Challenge: Listen Carefully. I have read a few challenges put out there for authors to attempt. I thought that perhaps it might be a bit of fun for an author to challenge the readers. I'll give this a shot and see if I get any results. I have added the first line of 5 songs throughout this chapter and 5 in the next. Your mission is to identify the quotes, artist, and title. Once you have done this list it as a review, and I'll check it over. Hints: I will be using music that I usually listen to: Rock, Hip-hop, Classic Rock, Punk, Blues, most of which you should be able to easily identify. I may throw in a few obscure songs just to see if anyone is really going to put an effort into this challenge. Good Luck  
  
I also wanted to say thanks for the reviews; Rahl, sachigh05 (again!), Arcane, Sarily, and Midknight00711. There have been some problems with the site, so that's why I haven't updated frequently.   
  
As far as the review from Mid, who commented after the first chapter that he/she was no longer following the story because the author had given up on it, thanks for the compliment, I also feel that my story is decent, or I wouldn't have bothered posting it. I can appreciate constructive criticism, or even someone who wants to argue a point of my story, but I'm not sure if you are complaining or just making random statements for no real purpose. If you're not following the story anymore than I am sorry I lost a reader. I apologize to any other readers, but I took a bit of offense to that review. Anyway, hope you're all trying the reader challenge and enjoying it. Thanks again.  
  
Jeremy  
  
Chapter 11 Good Graces  
  
Dinner was a subdued affair. There was still no report from either Snape or Kingsley Shacklebolt. Whatever relief Harry had felt after Ginny had held him quickly disappeared as everyone at the table was in a somber mood.  
  
After the meal Dumbledore pulled Harry aside. "Harry I am sorry for whatever Kreacher said to upset you. I know that you hold him responsible for Sirius' death and it must be difficult for you to live here with him. I would ask you to have patience, and remember that we have little choice other than to keep him here. If he were freed he would surely betray us to Voldemort. Also you must not blame yourself for today's attack. It was only one of their goals to try to capture you. It was far more important for them to free the other death eaters from Azkaban. I am afraid that we were almost completely blindsided by this attack. We had little warning other than the obvious fact that Voldemort would try to free his followers. I am very curious about the lack of information on this event. Perhaps it is nothing." Dumbledore trailed off with a concerned expression on his face.  
  
Later that night both Snape and Kingsley arrived at headquarters to give their reports. The students were sent to bed before the meeting started. Even Harry had to leave, and he did so willingly according to the conditions of his joining the Order. So slightly shaken by the events that had unfolded that day, they said goodnight, and made their way to their bedrooms. Harry changed into his pajamas and flung himself into bed, with Ron doing much the same. Despite being worn out Harry was far too restless to sleep. A short time later Mrs. Weasley came up the stairs and opened the door to their room to check on them. She shook her head and whispered to herself, "There's clothes all over the floor, don't remember them being there before." She was sure they were in bed though and so she left to check on the girls. Harry propped himself up on his pillows and slipped into his thoughts. His hand instinctively wandered to his forehead, where his finger began to trace the outline of his scar. After a few minutes deliberation he turned to find Ron staring at him from the opposite bed.  
  
"What is it Harry? Is something wrong?" Ron's question was dripping with apprehension.   
  
Harry took a moment to answer. "Aside from Voldemort's latest attempt to get me?" he said with an obvious bitterness. "Yeah there is a lot wrong Ron. Professor Lupin is hurt, I damn near killed Kreacher, Sirius…." Harry stopped at his own words, angry with himself for being so open, and angry with Ron for having asked the question. "I dunno. It seems that I've just got too much to think about. How am I supposed to deal with this all? I can't even get a full night of sleep with all these nightmares. I keep seeing the things that I could have changed, but it still ends in somebody dieing. Never mind thinking about how to stop Voldemort."   
  
"Welcome to your life. There's no turning back, even while we sleep." Ron began with a shudder from hearing the Dark Lord's name. "Look Harry, I don't know about all the stuff that's going on, especially with you, so I can't tell you what to do about it. What I do know is that you're my best mate, and I'm going to stick by you."  
  
Harry looked even more disturbed after Ron spoke. "That's just it though Ron. This is my life. No matter what I do I won't be able to get away from it. So everyone around me is at risk. Don't you think Voldemort knows who my best friend is? You're probably top on his list of people to use to get at me." Ron looked on in horror as he pondered Harry's words. "How do you deal with that Ron? How can you believe that our side will win?"  
  
"Lately I've been running on faith," Ron started again seriously, "What else can a poor boy do?" He finished sarcastically hoping to cheer up his friend by poking fun at himself but to no avail. If anything his reference to his family's financial state only managed to further Harry's self loathing. Seeing the look on his friends face he continued in a more genuine tone, "Hey mate, Ginny was right a few weeks ago. We believe in you. You always come out on top. By the way if you tell her I said that I'm going to let Fred and George have a go at your trunk before we get back to school." He added with a glint in his eyes. "Nothing is going to change just because you sit here worrying about it. In fact that's only going to make it worse. You probably just need something to take your mind off it all. Help you relax, you know?" Harry just nodded his head. Sensing that no words he could say would stir his friend from his brooding Ron gave up. "Well alright then, but if you decide you actually want to talk about it let me know. Remember to do your Occlumency thingy before you go to sleep. You'll probably wake up the whole house after all the stuff today." With that Ron rolled over to go to sleep.  
  
"Thanks Ron. Thanks a lot." Harry said with all the sincerity he could muster. "Goodnight." Ron replied the same and was soon producing the soft breathing that signaled he was asleep. Harry's mind continued to race however. Once he had started to think about his life it was difficult to bury those thoughts. He mentally prepared himself for another sleepless night. Perhaps Ron was right, he just needed a distraction, but he wasn't sure what could preoccupy his mind enough to keep it from thinking of the death that seemed to follow him around. Harry allowed himself to settle into his usual reflections. The night passed slowly, leaving him exhausted when he finally roused himself in the early morning hours.  
  
He made his way into the kitchen, deciding that it he could give Mrs. Weasley a break by fixing breakfast. Pulling out pots and pans he began cooking eggs and bacon. He also prepared some coffee and juice in addition to a platter of toast. Mr. Weasley made his way into the kitchen before heading out to work. He grabbed some toast and coffee. He picked up his briefcase and gave a muffled "Thanks Harry," through the bit of toast in his mouth as he left.   
  
Shortly thereafter people began to wander down into the kitchen to the wonderful smell of breakfast. Mrs. Weasley gave Harry a warm hug and a kiss when she found he had already cooked the meal for her. "You didn't need to go through all that trouble Harry. Thank you very much." she said with a look of pride to which the twins rolled their eyes. Harry sat with everyone else and picked at his food before finally deciding that he was hungry. Fred, George, and Ginny had all rushed through their meal and quickly left for the joke shop. After he finished Harry wandered back to his bedroom still lost in his own thoughts. Preparing breakfast had provided only temporary relief. Once again he threw himself onto his bed and resigned himself to spending the day in the same manner as he had the previous night.  
  
Ron came in a little while after breakfast and asked Harry if he wanted to join him and Hermione in the library. He really didn't, but he followed anyway. They spent the whole morning there and left when it was time for lunch. Harry ate very little, and when his friends got up to return to the library he continued past them and up the stairs to his room, saying he needed to lie down for a while. He had no sooner entered the room then he found himself unable to settle down. Glancing around Harry's gaze fell onto the still unread letter from Sirius. Guilt washed over him. He paced the room drowning in his own emotions. Once again he was faced with the prospect of reading the final words of his Godfather, and once again he put it off. "I've got too much on my mind already," he thought, feeling the need to excuse himself.  
  
The last few days of vacation slipped away quickly. Remus had returned two days after the attack. He had recovered well enough and assured everyone that he was in good health. He also took the chance to pull Harry aside. "So how are you doing Harry? I hear you had a little bout with Kreacher."  
  
"Yeah I guess." Harry replied. "I just got really upset. That's all."  
  
Remus eyed Harry with a look of compassion. "Care to talk about it?" he said evenly.  
  
It took a few seconds for Harry to answer. "I suppose I panicked when I heard that you were hurt. I lost Sirius-" his voice broke over the words he was trying to say. "I- I lost Sirius and I feel guilty about it. They were looking for me in Diagon Alley when you got hurt. It felt like if it weren't for me you wouldn't have been hurt, and- and Sirius would still be alive." Once he began to speak he found it was much easier than expected and he allowed the words to continue their flow. "I've been trying to reason through it, but it's tough. I can't believe he's gone. I mean, how do I say goodbye to what we had? Anyway, I was going to sit down to think about it when I ran into Kreacher and he said something and I lost control. I hate him. God I hate him. If Ginny didn't stop me I would have killed him. And that just makes me feel worse. Even if I'm not the one doing these things I feel responsible. It seems like everything that happens because of me, and I can't do anything to stop it. I'm tired of being useless." Harry's shoulders slumped as he finished trying to explain himself. His gaze fell to the floor as he was speaking and he had yet to look up again.  
  
Remus allowed Harry to speak without interrupting. The young man in front of him certainly looked like he had grown weary of the world long before his time. He had borne far too much for someone so young. Lupin's own experiences had been similar. His life growing up as a werewolf had forced him into a life of burdens and misunderstanding. He could relate to some of what Harry felt. Looking down at the child of his best friends he was filled with pity. "You know Harry, it's natural after all you've been through to feel guilt. I'm not saying that you are responsible by any measure," he added as Harry looked up in shock, "but you amaze me at how quickly you are maturing. Most adults wouldn't be able to distinguish the fact that it is not their fault, or even acknowledge their emotions after these experiences. You have always done what you thought was right, which is very important. It is also understandable that you will have a bad reaction when confronted by the people who are responsible. What is most important though is that as you sort through these problems you realize that you cannot control everything in this world. Not even the most powerful wizards can do such a thing. We all make choices and must accept the consequences of our actions. I went to Diagon Alley because it was the right thing to do. Sirius chose to go to the Ministry out of love for you. He accepted that he was putting himself at risk. There are some things that are worth dying for, and his love for you is certainly not the least of these things."  
  
"I guess I can understand that, but even then he only had to put himself at risk because of my choice. I chose to go to the Ministry and because of that my friends were hurt, and Sirius-."  
  
Hearing Harry's words only renewed the heavy feeling in Remus' heart. "I see your point Harry. Still I believe that this was beyond your control. You had a vision and did your best with the information you had. No one could expect anything more." His words did not have the desired effect. Remus had always tried to be the rational one growing up, rather a necessity of his condition. His own emotions had always been closely guarded. He pondered this for a moment and, deciding that it was perhaps what Harry needed, he changed tact. "Listen to me Harry. Can you recall the last thing that Sirius said to you?"  
  
Harry blinked. What did this have to do with anything? "Yeah, I suppose. He said something like 'Good one, get Neville and the others and get out of here.' But what does that-"  
  
Remus cut across Harry's last thought, "Exactly, exactly. Now, I may be guessing, but I am fairly certain that he didn't know that those would be the last words he would say to you. He loved you a great deal more than he ever said and that is why he left you a letter, to be sure that he had a chance to tell you everything he felt. Anyway, when he told you that in the ministry, what do you think he was feeling just then?"  
  
"I don't really know. I suppose with all the fighting he was probably worried about all of our safety." Harry answered honestly.  
  
"No Harry, that's not what I meant. I'm sure that he was worried about all of you, but I was referring to the first part. What did he feel when he told you good one?" Harry had no response other than shaking his head. Remus bore a puzzled expression for a moment and then continued. "Pride Harry. He was proud of you. Sirius might have gone there to save you, but he knew that whatever had brought you there must have been important, and that you would have made the right decision in going there. I would also think that in telling you to get the others out of there he showed a lot of faith in your abilities. He trusted you to protect your friends and get them out of harm's way." The thoughts had finally overwhelmed his former professor as tears began to well up in his eyes. Harry felt the same burning liquid as it streamed down his own face.  
  
"Thanks. I needed to hear that. It's been a while since I could hold my head up high." Harry said. "I still feel terrible about it all, but at least now I can think a little more clearly about it. Thank you Remus." The door to the sitting room flew open at that moment, and they both turned in surprise at the intrusion.  
  
  
  
A concerned look crossed the face of Ginny Weasley as she eyed the two men sitting in opposing chairs. Both were staring at her, and both had tears in their eyes. Realizing what they must look like they both turned away to right themselves before facing her again. "Harry Potter!" she yelled, returning to the reason she had actually charged into the room. She continued her rant with mock indignation, "You still owe me a talk you know."  
  
Looking up Harry glanced a sly smile crossing Lupin's face before he turned his attention to Ginny, "Sorry about that Ginny. I didn't mean to, you've just been working a lot, so I didn't want to bother you. Besides, I could say the same thing to you."  
  
Ginny looked crossly at Harry, unsure of what he meant. "What! What are you talking about? Don't you try to blame this on me." She would have continued but Harry had put up his hands up in surrender and Lupin was actually shaking in a fit of laughter.  
  
"Alright I give up." Harry said, as a smile lifted on his face as well. "I only meant that you still haven't told me what was bothering you from when you found me with buckbeak, and that was ages ago. Anyway, I don't think I could handle much more talking tonight," he said bringing the mood back to normal. "Remus and I just finished with one long chat, and if I start another I am likely to turn into a basket case."  
  
"Well okay then, but I'm not letting you off the hook. What do you say we talk on the train if we don't get a chance before then?" Ginny said, still eyeing him suspiciously. "It's not like I'll have anything else to do."  
  
"Definitely." replied Harry. He noted the flat tone in her voice and wondered about it, but decided to leave it until they sat down to talk. With that the three left the room and went their separate ways. 


	12. The Road Home

Author's Note: Reminder to anyone doing the reader's challenge, please send your answers in the form of a review. I am going to wait for more responses before doing another chapter like that, so there aren't really any songs included in this chapter, except for one, let me know if you find it. LOL  
  
Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I enjoy reading them, and it encourages me to write more. I owe an extra debt of gratitude to some of you, as your comments have posed a lot of questions that are forcing me to re- evaluate the plot. You've given me a lot work to do in order to improve the story, but you should notice a few changes after the next chapter or so. Hopefully you will get the answers to some of your questions. I will be writing more about the different events that are occurring. I felt I had a good deal to cover with Harry's grief, and I admittedly took up a lot of the plot with that. I will apologize now for not including Mark Evans into this story. I may be wrong, but I think JKR added him as a hoax, so I will not be trying to define the personality of a character that I don't think will actually be featured in her sixth book. Anyway, a special thanks to miss_ray, Marcello, and Meh your thoughts have been a big help. Please review again and let me know if I've improved.  
  
I have a state inspection for work coming up in one month, so I will most likely update only twice in the interim, after that I may have more time to concentrate on this story. Also I apologize for this chapter, I feel, especially in light of some of your reviews, that I haven't really done a good job. While it gives some information for future chapters, I am disappointed with the way that it has turned out, but as I have tried three times to rewrite it I don't think I am going to come up with anything better. At least not now while I am distracted. Anyway, I'll try harder in the upcoming chapters, and hopefully I can get out of this slump. Criticism is always helpful, so please tell me how I am doing.  
  
Also thanks to Jedi's Honor Bound Witch, Jennifer for your; as well as miss_ray, paintingAmystery and Alexis-Lee (for reviewing the story Lose Yourself)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Harry Potter or any characters or places in this story, they belong to JK Rowling. I am making no money from this story.  
  
Chapter 12 The Road Home  
  
Harry woke up to the sound of pouring rain. It must have started sometime in the middle of the night. As he lie awake last night he could hear the distant rumbling of thunder. The air had been heavy with the anticipation of the storm. There had been little chance of a decent nights rest with the aching in his scar, but he had put forth a valiant effort in attempting to sleep. Harry couldn't remember what time his mind had finally given in to slumber, but even with the uneasy feeling leftover from the nightmares, he was glad that he managed some rest.  
  
September first dawned to the usual hustle and bustle that occurred every year as the students prepared to leave for Hogwarts. Ron was scurrying madly about their room. It appeared that Ron had left a few things to the last minute and couldn't find them. Harry shook his head with a smile and quickly stepped up to help his friend find the misplaced items. There was a small bit of joy he found in the yearly routine, which almost always ended with them being behind schedule. And so it was that after a short breakfast and some other last minute searching the four students were packed and leaving for school.  
  
At twenty minutes to eleven they pulled up at King's Cross Station in a car driven by Madeye. Remus, Bill, Moody, along with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley accompanied the students as their guard. Harry made no objections because he knew it was a necessary evil. Besides, it could be fun to try and spot the other order members who were protecting the station. They were all well disguised, although one was particularly difficult to distinguish.  
  
Harry was shocked when a short, school-aged girl, that he didn't know, with straight blond hair and pale blue eyes put her arm around his waist and squeezed him while she winked. Harry flushed with discomfort at the apparent stranger who was groping him until she leaned over to his ear and gave a familiar greeting, "Wotcher Harry!" A wave of relief swept over him when he realized it was Tonks, even if all the others were biting back their laughter. He put his arm around her shoulder and whispered back, "Very amusing Tonks. I suppose you and Remus planned this together late last night eh?" He finished with a wink of his own. Now it was her turn to blush. She tried to pull away from him, but he only pulled her in closer. "Relax, I'm only kidding." he sniggered.  
  
With that they turned down platform nine and walked to the hidden entrance to platform nine and three quarters. Bill and Tonks stepped casually through first to make sure the way was safe, and the others followed a moment later.  
  
The familiar sights and sounds greeted Harry and his friends. The Hogwarts Express stood shining on the tracks, surrounded by families saying their farewells. Much like the end of last term, Harry could feel the eyes of the students trained on him. It was odd how easily their opinions changed, at this time last year many of the other students believed that he was insane, or a liar. Now he was their hero again, at least that's how they saw him. Harry certainly hadn't felt the part in a long time. He caught his mind slipping into these old thoughts and quickly pushed them back. He had his friends and that was all he really needed. A few of the young wizards and witches who actually knew him were waving or calling to him. Harry shook his head smiling and waved politely back.  
  
The four friends loaded their trunks onto the train and said goodbye to their escort. However several members of the order had stepped onto the train, apparently they were there as a safety precaution. Mrs. Weasley gave them all a deep hug farewell. Harry could see the grief and pity she felt for him pass in the motherly warmth of her eyes. "Do try and take care of yourself, alright dear?" she said to him before he stepped onto the train.  
  
Ron peered over Harry's shoulder and smirking at his mother said , "Sure thing Mum, I'll be sure to give him a lump on the head if he puts so much as one toe out of line." He finished the statement in his best imitation of her voice.  
  
The glare she shot him could have melted steel, "You'd better hope I don't give you a lump on the head Ronald Weasley!" He cringed at her reprimand, and Hermione further avenged Mrs. Weasley by smacking Ron in the back of the head.   
  
They started down the hallway with a chuckle as the train began to pull out. Harry grinned broadly at Ron, who was rubbing his head and said indignantly "Ouch. You didn't have to be so rough you know Hermione. I was only joking." Ginny continued to giggle at her brother's misfortune.  
  
Harry shook his head again and said, "Come on let's go find a compartment." Then he turned to lift his trunk and Hedwig's cage.  
  
"Sorry Harry, but we have to go to the prefect's compartment for our first meeting before we do anything else." Hermione responded looking dolefully into his eyes.  
  
If anything Ron looked even more depressed and was muttering something to himself before looking up at Harry. "Hey sorry mate, but save us a seat would you? I'm sure we won't be too long. Maybe when we get back you and I can get a game of chess," he said expectantly, hoping to abate whatever emotion was stirring inside his best friend.  
  
For his part Harry resigned his gaze to the floor. "S'alright, I'll go find us a compartment. I'll see you in a little while," he finished and began to walk down the hall. Turning into a compartment on the left, he received a sharp push in the back. Glancing over his shoulder he saw Ginny laughing even harder now as she followed him into the otherwise empty compartment.  
  
"Oh come on you prat. It's not like you're being left all by yourself you know." she said jokingly, but it was as though she were reading his mind. Harry turned to her with a forced grin and nodded his head. She could read a very lost expression that shadowed every other part of his face. He gently took the trunk from her hands and lifted it into the rack and then placed his own trunk and Hedwig next to it. Hermione had sent Crookshanks along with Ginny, who released the ginger cat from it's basket. She looked at Harry again and rolled her eyes. "Really. It's not like they're not coming right back. Besides, this will give us the chance to talk."  
  
Harry reluctantly smiled. He knew the reason he was feeling this way was a bit selfish, but he couldn't help it. He didn't have much time left with his two best friends. Ginny continued her banter, but Harry wasn't paying attention. His focus was on his own problems. Soon enough they would be leaving Hogwarts, and then what? If Harry even survived that long would they still be as close as they were now. Harry was now responsible for saving everyone from Voldemort's destruction. His life was all but spent now, whereas they could simply go on worrying about prefect meetings, or homework and things. It dawned on him just how much he resented Dumbledore for telling him about the prophecy, but then again he did keep it from Harry for so long, just to give him some hope at happiness. He obviously cared a great deal for Harry. It was very difficult to stay angry at the aging wizard who Harry had placed so much faith in. Perhaps that was it, Harry was unsure whether he could still trust the man as he once had. He resolved to speak to his headmaster. He wished that he had Sirius to talk to about these thoughts. This sent him straight into his past thoughts, his finger moving thoughtlessly to the lightning bolt scar on his forehead. That is until his eyes traveled to meet Ginny's, who had been silent for a minute now.  
  
"Oh I see that you decided to join me again. Harry what's going on?" she stated in a more pressing tone than when they had first entered the compartment.  
  
"I'm sorry about that. I was just thinking how weird my life is. I really didn't mean to not pay attention to you. I'm sorry Ginny, honest," he said trying too hard to make up for ignoring her.  
  
Ginny grinned wickedly as she accepted his apology, "It's alright Harry. Although it is kinda funny to watch you sit there squirming. Anyway, are you going to tell me what happened with Kreacher, or should I beat it out of you?"  
  
Harry was sure he could survive whatever she could dish out, but decided not to tempt fate. "No no, we can talk," he said waving his hands to ward off the onslaught.  
  
Harry explained what had happened that night. Ginny was utterly shocked when he relayed how Kreacher had betrayed Sirius by telling Harry his Godfather was at the Ministry last June. Cupping her hand over her mouth she looked concernedly upon Harry with a new understanding of his actions.  
  
As Harry recalled how she had covered for him he felt a bit embarrassed. He thanked her profusely as a tinge of red crept up his neck. Harry also remembered to ask what had been bothering her almost a month ago, just as Ron and Hermione returned. She was reluctant to answer at first, but seeing as how Harry, who was always very tight lipped, had shared his troubles, she began to answer, but Ron started to complain before she could utter a sound.   
  
"Unbelievable!" exclaimed Ron as he plopped himself down next to Harry. "That was the longest, most useless meeting I have ever attended in my life." Hermione didn't object, but looked on in silent agreement. Both of the prefects looked slightly disheveled. "And how about the new Head Boy?" he continued, "That bloke is a nutter if I ever met one. Jason Watson or something, he's in Hufflepuff. They kept going on and on about how You Know Who was back, and we needed to be extra careful, like nobody knew any of that, or we needed fifty reminders or something."  
  
"So who's the new Head Girl?" asked Ginny, still a little disgruntled at her brother for interrupting her.  
  
Hermione glanced thoughtfully at Harry for a moment and then answered, "Cho Chang."  
  
Harry knew she was watching him for a reaction, but he didn't feel any. His feelings for her had changed in the past year, and his lack of expression only confirmed Hermione's suspicions. Just to get her to stop staring he said, "Well that wasn't unexpected was it? Still good for her I suppose." Hermione studied him for another second before turning to the window. The storm from the previous night had renewed itself and raindrops were pattering against the window.  
  
The plump old witch pushing the lunch trolley came past a short time later as the friends gave a detailed description of the Prefect's meeting, talked over their courses for the year, and what Ginny should expect for her O.W.L.s. Harry bought a bunch of chocolate frogs as well as cauldron cakes and several other treats to hold them over until the feast later that evening. Hermione turned her head away from Ron as he stuffed a chocolate frog into his mouth. "So anyway, what were you two talking about when we came in?" she said directing her attention to Ginny and Harry.  
  
"Actually Ginny was just about to tell me what was bothering her the day Diagon Alley was attacked," Harry replied. "Did you still want to tell us Ginny? I understand if you don't, I mean whatever it was you were pretty upset at the time."  
  
Ginny looked warily at her brother for a moment before she answered. "Actually it's not a big deal or anything," she started, still eyeing her brother, "I just got a letter from Dean that Day. We broke up." Ron reacted much as anyone who knew him would have expected. He sat bolt upright and his temper seemed to rise with the blush that advanced across his cheeks. Before he could respond though Ginny cut him off with an angry glare. "Sit down Ron! I said we broke up, because it was partly my fault. We are both still friends, but it just wasn't working out. Besides that, it's none of your business," she finished with a huff and folded her arms across her chest.  
  
As Ron finished chewing he cast around the compartment for any sign of what to do, but Harry looked lost, and Hermione was trying to console his sister. "Sorry Gin, I'm just worried about you. I want you to be happy, with someone who is going to take care of you." Ron surreptitiously glanced at Harry, who didn't really notice. Ginny nodded her understanding of her brother's intent, however overbearing and misguided it was, it was only because he loved her. The conversation changed slowly to a few other topics over the next hour and finally settled on the upcoming Quidditch season.   
  
Around this time Neville and Luna joined the group in their compartment. Neville proudly displayed his new wand for everyone to see, and began talking animatedly about some of the plants he had studied over the holiday. A sense of growth stemmed from the young man who had found some confidence over the last year. Luna on the other hand was staring blankly out the window lost in her own world. Harry wondered at the group of friends who surrounded him, speaking lightly with each other, and how innocent they all seemed. Concern traced through his mind thinking of the reasons they stood by him. His hand slowly found it's way to his scar and began trailing up and down the lightning bolt shaped cut while he closed his eyes. Before he sank too far into his thoughts though the door to their cabin opened again. Harry groaned as he heard Ron say, "What do you want Malfoy?"  
  
The drawling voice hung in the air as he mockingly entered the room. "Well, well, if it isn't Potter and company. Had a nice summer have you? Just as a reminder Potter, we still have a score to settle." Draco was flanked on either side by Crabbe and Goyle, who were growling in Harry's direction.  
  
Harry found that he couldn't care less though. "Sorry, I thought the ride home last year would have settled our differences. Forgive me, I just feel so sluggish today," he replied coolly, earning several chuckles from his friends, as they recalled the three Slytherin's being turned into something much resembling giant slugs the last time they tried to attack Harry. A tinge of pink glowed on Malfoy's otherwise pale and placid complexion. Malfoy made the mistake of reaching for his wand though, and before he could pull it from his robes Harry was on his feet with his wand already leveled at Malfoy's face. Harry's friends rose to their feet nearly as quickly, but it was Harry who took control, as he began to speak in soft, deadly tones. "Give me a reason Malfoy. After all you have done to taunt and embarrass me and my friends, and the times your father has tried to kill us, give me an excuse to destroy you. It will matter very little what consequences there are, because the next time you threaten any of my friends, or myself, there won't be enough of you left to enjoy any punishment I might receive. Get Out." Harry could feel the blood pulsing through his veins as the blond haired boy recoiled and backed his way out into the hall.  
  
"Say hi to Daddy for me," called Ron pointing his wand over Harry's shoulder. Ginny punched him in the arm as they all returned to their seats enjoying a good laugh.  
  
Harry smiled widely, but it faded almost immediately as he thought about what had just transpired. "Good one mate. Still, I think we had better keep an eye on him this year. There isn't much that will keep him from turning into a Death Eater, but we don't want him practicing around school." Everyone nodded in agreement, but it felt strange that they sat there thinking of protecting the school from Death Eaters and such.  
  
As the darkness fell about the countryside the students changed into their robes. Neville and Luna had returned to their carriage leaving the four Gryffindors to themselves. Harry caught Ron peaking at Hermione as she read a book, and elbowed his best friend in the ribs with a grin. Ron looked slightly put out, but Harry wasn't sure if it was for being poked, or because he got caught eying up Hermione. As they pulled up to the Hogsmeade Station Harry peered outside at the black night sky. The clouds from the storm that had followed them most of their trip had now peeled back. Their pale gray-white shapes hovered miles away on the horizon. Stepping out onto the platform he looked up to see the brightly shining stars that glimmered above the heads of all the students, and breathed deeply the clean fresh air of the countryside.  
  
The cutting wind crossed his exposed face, but it was summer yet and the air was still warm enough that he was no worse for having felt it. Several students brushed past Harry as he realized that he was home. He turned up the platform and waved to the towering man at the other end who was holding a lantern and calling out, "Firs' years, follow me." Hagrid grinned broadly at Harry and his friends and waved genially back at them, "All righ' there you lot?".  
  
They strode over to the coaches and before entering Harry glanced through his glasses at the Thestrals that were pulling what, to most others, appeared to be horseless carriages. He took another deep breath, and sighed, "Yes, it's good to be home." 


	13. A New Year

Authors Note: Hi all, I'd like to start with a quick thank you to Hunta, rahl, gaul1, HPBeatles, mushcorn, miss ray317for your reviews of the last chapter, and next for reviewing my other story (the answer to your question is yes). Also sorry about the wait for this posting, but as I said, I was very busy. Finally, I am sorry to say that I won't continue the Reader's Challenge, I got very few responses, and it takes too much time and effort, and probably detracts from the story. Anyway, the plot should thicken up a bit after this chapter, so stay tuned.

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Harry Potter or any characters or places in this story, they belong to JK Rowling. I am making no money from this story.

Chapter 13 A New Year

A wave of relief swept over Harry as he stepped out of the coach. Falling in stride beside his friends the walls and parapets, and towers of light filled windows of the only place he could truly call home reflected brightly against the depths of his green eyes. The rain from earlier that evening had finally ceased, and a light fog hovered across the dampened grass of the school grounds, before slipping into shadow at the edge of the forest. They reached the large oak doors to the entrance hall and entered amid the chatter of their schoolmates. Yet no words would pass Harry's lips that could describe the sense of living and belonging that he felt.

The group of Gryffindors made to enter the Great Hall but a stern voice beckoned them and they halted. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, could kindly follow me to my office? I have something I wish to discuss with the two of you." Professor McGonagall stated imperiously, not really giving them the choice of whether to follow her or not.

Ron's face contorted with despair and he whispered to Harry, "But we haven't even done anything yet." Harry just shrugged his shoulders and began walking behind his teacher, Ron starting in after a moment.

When they arrived at her office she held the door open for the two young men to enter. Stepping in after them she closed the door and made her way behind the desk to her chair. "Well sit down then," she said brusquely. "Firstly I wished to inform you Mr. Potter that your ban from Quidditch has been lifted. I have already made arrangements for your broom to be returned to your dormitory. Congratulations." she said as the hint of a smile played at the corner of her mouth. "However I would like to remind you that I expect the best behavior from my students and I will accept nothing less from you." Harry nodded his head in acknowledgment, barely able to contain his elation. "Now then, the reason I asked you both here is to discuss the upcoming season. As you may have expected I have asked Ms. Bell to take the Captain's spot this year, as she is the oldest member of the team and she has been on the team longer than anyone else. However she has declined, citing the need to concentrate on her studies for the upcoming N.E.W.T. examinations. As such our team does not yet have a captain. I have hoped therefore that the two of you would share the responsibility, being the next two senior members of the team. I believe this to be the best course of action, as two heads are better than one. Also I am aware of the responsibilities that you both have, and do not wish to overload either of you. Therefore if you were to share this role I believe that you will both still be able to concentrate on your studies. Are there any questions?" Both shook their heads in response. "Very well, do you accept the position?"

To this the two students answered enthusiastically, "Yes mam."

McGonagall opened her desk drawer and produced two badges and placed them on the desk in front of the young men. "As I had hoped. Here are your badges. You will need to hold tryouts in the next few weeks for the open positions. I expect you to keep me informed of the team's progress. Speak with Madam Houch to book the pitch, and if you need any assistance please come to see me. I don't have to tell you how accustomed I have become to having the cup in my office and I will be most aggrieved to have to turn it over to Professor Snape. Do your best gentlemen. Now if there is nothing else, I believe we should return before the feast begins." With that the two young wizards took their badges and followed Professor McGonagall back to the Great Hall.

Taking their seats a moment before the first years entered neither Ron nor Harry could hide their smiles. Just as Hermione opened her mouth to question them about their meeting the doors to the hall opened and the first year students filed in behind the Deputy Headmistress to the space in front of the head table. Harry turned with anticipation to the Head Table, fondly recalling his own Sorting Ceremony. He smiled genuinely when McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on it's stool and a rip near the brim opened. The first years were frozen with astonishment as the hat began to sing:

A hat like me you'll never find,

For not only this song do I sing.

I am here with a purpose in mind,

Made just to do the sorting.

Hello you old and welcome new,

To our honored home.

Listen as I tell to you,

In just which house you go.

Perhaps into Ravenclaw,

With the brightest minds.

Or maybe clever Slytherin,

Is where you'll meet your kind.

You may go to Gryffindor

And bravery you'll find

But maybe you belong in Hufflepuff,

With the hard work you won't fall behind.

Our founders four were all so smart,

And set out to build this school,

With a desire to pass on their art.

A very old hat I am and perhaps only a fool,

But I feel a mistake is made when our students part.

Darkness like the tide of night

Will always rise and fall.

Though all shall choose a side and fight,

One must stand before us all.

Brave and loyal, Clever and bright,

Upon this one shall fall our fate,

Either to succeed or break.

My duty I will now achieve,

Although it may be wrong.

Just place me on your top and see,

Exactly where you belong.

Light applause spread throughout the Great Hall mingled with confused mumbling between the students. Harry however had adopted a distant look while his thoughts turned over the second warning. Similar to last year the Sorting Hat had given advice about all the houses joining together, but this year had gone a step further giving a clue as to how the "darkness" would end. It had managed to affirm the prophecy, as Harry was sure that the one to stand before everyone else was himself. Resentment trickled through his mind over the fate that had been chosen for him. He didn't want this, any of it, but he couldn't deny it either. If he was the only one who could end this, who could stop Voldemort and the pain he caused, then he would have to find a way. Ron's rumbling stomach broke Harry's concentration. Now scowling at his own future he focused his attention back on the ceremony.

Professor McGonagall stood forward with a roll of parchment, effectively silencing the students. "When I call your name please step forward and place the hat on your head to be sorted. Thomas Adams."

A small eleven-year-old boy stepped slowly out of line, and placed the Sorting Hat on his head. A moment later the hat shouted "Ravenclaw!" Loud applause rang out as Thomas replaced the hat on the stool and made his way over to the Ravenclaw House table.

As Julie Alton was called forward Harry searched his friends faces for any sign of recognition. Had any of them heard the meaning behind the Hat's song? He looked from one to the next, but they all seemed to be avoiding his gaze, indirectly verifying that they understood the song, and perhaps what Harry was thinking. He continued his deliberations until the Sorting Ceremony ended with Katherine Yates being placed into Gryffindor.

Ron looked insufferably towards the Head Table as he was awaiting the beginning of the feast. "Hurry up I'm starving," he muttered.

Dumbledore stood from his seat at the head table. "Now then I believe we have kept you all waiting long enough." With a wave of his hands he said, "Now dig in." The trays and bowls filled with food of all kinds, and Ron didn't need a second invitation as he started to pull every platter he could reach towards him. Harry smirked indifferently at his friend's appetite, and placed a bit of chicken on his own plate.

After a few moments of eating, Hermione spoke up, "So what did Professor McGonagall want with the two of you?"

Ron was about to open his mouth to speak, but a look from Hermione told him he should finish chewing first. Instead Harry answered. "Umm actually she asked if we would be co-captains for the Quidditch team this year."

Several congratulations were passed on from the surrounding students who had heard. Hermione went as far as to give them each a small hug and a kiss on the cheek. Ron blushed furiously at the gesture, and seemingly lost his ability to speak.

Slowly everyone finished their deserts and the serving dishes sparkled clean once again. The level of noise grew in the hall until Professor Dumbledore

rose from his seat. The students again fell silent. "Welcome again to another year at Hogwarts." he began and received many cheers. "Yes, yes, thank you. Now I have a few start of term announcements. Firstly, I would like to welcome our new instructor to our staff, Professor Weasley, who will be taking over our Defense Against the Dark Arts classes." Harry and the others were in shock. Stealing the looks on their faces, they stood from their seats to applaud. Glaring at the table the four friends saw Charlie Weasley standing towards the end of the staff table near Hagrid. He was waving genially, and paused to give a wink at his siblings and their friends. Harry had been so wrapped up in his own problems that he hadn't considered for a moment who the new Professor would be. This was a pleasant surprise, although he did wonder why no one had told them that Charlie would be coming back from Romania to teach at Hogwarts.

As the commotion died down Dumbledore continued with his notices, "Mr. Filch, our caretaker, has updated the list of banned items, which now includes most items sold at Weasley Wizard Whizzes. The complete list may be viewed on Mr. Filch's office door. Finally, I would like to caution you all. We have entered into dark times, and we must be very guarded in our actions. The school is quite safe however, and I hope that our current circumstances will not distract you from your studies. Nonetheless, I strongly recommend that everyone be careful. If you witness something you believe to be suspicious, please find a teacher immediately. As always, the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds to all students. Now then I believe that is all. Prefects please guide the first year students to the dormitories. I wish you all a good night's sleep so you may begin your classes properly rested. Good Evening."

Harry helped as Hermione and Ron tried to gather the first years into a group to go to Gryffindor Tower. A few students had made their way over to Harry to say hello, or ask about the DA. He also noticed many of the new students staring at him as they passed by, but he was used to it now. He even greeted some of them, but he mostly tried to ignore the awed looks he was receiving. Soon his friends were ready to leave, and Hermione began to drag both Harry and Ron from the hall by their arms. Unknown to any of them was the fact that they were being watched by eager eyes, from a corner of the Great Hall.

A moment later the three friends were walking steadily behind the group being lead up the stairs by Colin Creevey and another prefect. Harry was longing for the comfort of his bed, but was sure that sleep wouldn't come easily tonight; he had too much on his mind. At any rate he was sure that Ron would keep him company, at least long enough to talk about Charlie being a professor. That might be enough to keep Hermione or Ginny up for awhile as well. Harry didn't care, so long as he wasn't alone. They soon arrived at the portrait of the fat lady and followed the other students through after the password was given, "butterbeer".

Author's Note: Just a quick reference to our new DADA Professor. There are many different theories on who it will be in the sixth year. However, after a tedious conversation with my wife, I decided to go with Charlie. I don't actually believe he will be filling the position in the sequel, but this will at least give this story a bit of a different angle. Anyway, I hope this works out and I haven't offended anyone, but feel free to comment.

Thanks,

Jeremy


	14. Lessons and Learning

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Harry Potter or any characters or places in this story, they belong to JK Rowling. I am making no money from this story.

Author's Note: Sorry this took so long, but there was a lot I wanted to say here, and try to set up. It was all but done two weeks ago, and then I decided to change a lot of what I had. Still, I think it is at least a decent chapter, and one of the longest I've done. I have outlined and started on the next 8 chapters, though if I take as much time with those as I did with this one, I am sure I will be losing some readers. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews, I really appreciate the suggestions and support. Enjoy.

Jeremy

Chapter 14 Learning and Lessons

Hermione nearly dragged Harry into a quiet corner of the Common Room. Ron followed, along with Ginny who was casting anxious glances at the three of them. Being the first night back most of the students went immediately to their dorms so there wasn't really anyone to disrupt the conversation they were about to have.

"Are you alright Harry?" she began. "I'm surprised that the Sorting Hat actually announced that. I mean, I'm sure most people didn't get it, and it didn't really reveal anything substantial, but…" Hermione trailed off as she searched Harry's face for some reaction. Times like these were most frustrating for his friends, because Harry could be very stubborn when he was pushed, and certainly the Sorting Hat's song was forcing him to face his future.

After a moments pause he answered, though he bore a very stoic look on his face. "I just don't know. It wasn't anything that either side doesn't know already, but to have it thrown out there for everyone to hear, it just makes me uncomfortable. I'm not ready for this," he continued despondently. "I can't face what people expect of me, not when it comes to this, the prophecy. What if I fail?"

Ron shook his head, "Harry, it's not gonna be like that. I know you will win. We'll be behind you no matter what. Win or lose you only have to worry about your own expectations.

"No Ron, you don't get it. Don't you see, I can't just worry about myself. It's my responsibility now, and if I lose, then everyone loses. If he kills me, I….I know that he'll….he will kill you. All of you. I can't let that happen, but I don't know if I can stop him either. If it were just me I could handle that, but this…." Harry just shook his head. "I can't deal with this now." Harry rose quickly from his seat to go to his dorm. As he passed her, Hermione grabbed his hand. She held it only for a moment, and looked into his eyes compassionately, assurance belying in her friendly touch. Then she released him and he continued his course toward the dormitory.

Slowly Harry entered the room. He glanced lazily around the place that had been his home for the last five years and sighed heavily. The other three occupants were already in bed and speaking quietly. His trunk had been placed near his four-poster bed. He pulled out a pair of pajamas, and began to get changed. Ron came in a moment later and walked straight to his own bed. "Sorry mate." He said while his back was turned to Harry. "I know it's a lot for you to deal with, and I won't ever really understand that kind of pressure. But I'm still gonna be here for you. Friends to the end eh?" he sighed as he turned toward his best friend. "We've made it through a lot already, we can survive this too."

"Thanks Ron. That means a lot to me. Friends to the end." Harry smiled slightly, realizing how much Ron, and Hermione's friendship did mean to him. It was everything, and the only thing he had left to hold on to.

Ron nodded his head. "So, I can't believe Charlie is the new Professor. Or that nobody even bothered to tell us. Pretty wicked huh?"

Harry wasn't quite as interested in Ron's amazement at his brother's appointment to the Defense position. Certainly Charlie being the new Professor was a bit of a surprise, but Harry liked Charlie the few times the two had met. His mind was distracted at the moment, and he couldn't seem to shake off the dark thoughts that seemed to follow him from dinner. The Sorting Hat's song had bothered him a bit. As he listened to Ron's grumbling Harry smiled. Even if he were doomed to some horrible fate, his friends could at least grow up with relative normality. They simply didn't have to face the same things that Harry did. _Well, maybe that is just a little selfish_. He mused to himself. They would follow him to whatever end, and he knew it. Perhaps it was more that they could maintain a level of innocence, whereas he, at the ripe old age of sixteen, knew that he would one day have to kill, or be killed. Sure everyone dies, but none of his peers had any thoughts of when or how they would face death. Harry though, was fairly sure that he would be facing his soon enough, and it would be at the hands of Voldemort if he couldn't find a way to kill the dark lord first.

With these thoughts taxing heavily on his mind, Harry said goodnight to his Ron and crawled into bed. Harry sat in silence listening to murmurs as the other boys in his dorm talked about what they had been doing recently. Slowly the voices died away and was replaced by quiet breathing as the others fell asleep. Harry's mind wouldn't settle however, and he knew that he shouldn't go to sleep until he was under control. He pushed himself up in bed and focused his mind on the thoughts that were racing through it. One of the things that bothered Harry was that he had no idea of where his life was going. Well more he knew where it was going, but wasn't sure how he was going to get there. In the end, Harry would have to face Voldemort. He knew that, indeed he couldn't forget it now if he tried. The problem was that he was nowhere near ready for such a confrontation, and wasn't sure what he could do to get ready. He needed a direction, and probably a bit of time to sort out his problems. Harry lay awake again, only tonight it wasn't because of a nightmare or vision. He needed time to decide what to do, and he took it. It was several hours later that he came to several realizations as to what he could do, and that was a good start. Aside from speaking with Dumbledore, there were many ideas that he had mulled over. One of the first dealt with his friends.

It had occurred to him several times now that they all seemed so unbound by the thoughts that haunted him, and that was good. They could still be young. Of course they were affected by the war. Hermione was muggle-born, so she would be a target for Voldemort and the Death Eaters. While Ron, and Ginny, had all but one other member of their family in the Order of the Phoenix. During the first war these were the people who had fought directly against the Dark Lord, and had suffered high casualties. Harry doubted that they would be so lucky as to avoid similar results this time around. Actually Cedric Diggory, Bertha Jorkins, and Sirius had already fallen, and this was only the beginning.

So it was that Harry decided that he would protect his friends from all of this. He couldn't live with himself if he lost any of them. True, he wouldn't be able to keep them from the fighting that was sure to come, evidenced already by the trip to the Ministry a few months ago. But Harry already knew that his only hope of survival lay in his ability to kill. That was something none of them would have to face if he could help it.

The other things he thought of were a little more direct. He would have to study more, and train harder. Occlumency was a subject he would have to master, and if Dumbledore could not help him, Harry would submit himself to Snape's particular brands of torture. Harry knew how important this was now, he would even beg the Potion's Master if it came to it. Harry also wondered about researching other subjects that could possibly help him to defend himself, but even more about the need to be able to attack. He wasn't willing to wait any longer for his enemies to attack him so that he could shield himself, or disarm them, or trip them with a jinx. Harry wanted to know how to strike out at them before they had a chance to get him.

The many hours of deliberation had taken their toll, and Harry was now entirely exhausted. He had been lightly tracing his scar for most of the time he had spent thinking, and now as he tried to clear his thoughts his arm slowly slipped away from his head.

The light of morning crept over the forbidden forest and into the castle windows. Peaking through the drawn curtains it found Harry propped up in bed. Sometime in the short hours before dawn he had drifted off into a light slumber. The light hitting his face forced him to shield his tired eyes, but brought him back to consciousness. He groggily reached for his glasses and pulled them onto his face. Pulling back the curtains Harry found that he was the first to wake in his dorm. Being used to the lack of sleep through the holidays Harry decided it would be best to get an early start. He got dressed and headed down to the common room, only to find that it was empty.

Harry sat in his favorite chair by the fire and pulled out his potions book. While he lay awake last night he had silently come to the conclusion that he needed to put more effort into his studies, and Potions was certainly the course he needed to start with. Without Professor Snape breathing down his neck Harry was a decent Potions Maker. Yet, even though he had managed an O on his O.W.L. exams, and could therefore take the advanced course, he was sure that Snape wouldn't be any easier on him. If anything he would try that much harder to force Harry out of the class. Harry needed to be sure that he was prepared for whatever material the class would cover so that he wouldn't be distracted when the overbearing Professor began to single him out.

After an hour or so the common room came to life as the other Gryffindors rose for the first day of class. Hermione was the first of his friends to join him. She seemed caught between being pleased at finding Harry studying, and worry. She was very astute at reading people, and directed her concern for her friend as she sat next to him. "Hey Harry. Didn't you sleep well last night?"

"Good morning Hermione, and actually no I didn't. Thanks for asking. I just needed the time to think. I had some things to work out. I did manage a few hours though. How did you sleep?" he asked somberly.

"Oh, well honestly, I was a bit worried about you, but I did sleep alright." she replied as he put his book back in his bag. "You didn't have any dreams did you? Do you want to talk about it, or do you need to see Professor Dumbledore? I mean if your having dreams again maybe he should know about it."

Harry knew his friend was only showing her concern for him, even if he didn't want her to worry, so his response was toned. "Hermione, I didn't have any dreams last night. I've been practicing the Occlumency, and it's helping, even if I'm not that good at it. And yes, before you ask, I have had dreams over the summer, and Professor Dumbledore already knows. I've been having them all summer, but they aren't being controlled by Voldemort if that's what you mean. Still I suppose I'll mention it to him if I see him later." Hermione nodded in response. Harry's friends now understood him a little better, and knew that he needed to work some things out on his own.

Their conversation turned to the first day of lessons and what they expected when Ron joined them. A minute later they were following Ron's growling stomach out the portrait hole and down to breakfast.

The Great Hall was filled with excited students chatting merrily about their summers as the three friends made their way to their seats. Ron and Harry both began to pile food onto their plates, while Hermione took just a bowl of porridge. But as Ron reached for a plate of kippers something caught Harry's eye. He reached across the table and grabbed Ron's arm very suddenly. He held it steadily as he looked at the deep scarring that laced it's way up his arm. A look of concern crossed Harry's face as he released his friend. "Ron, I - I - I didn't know it was this bad. I mean, wow Ron. I'm sorry."

Ron however smirked at his friend's discomfort. "Harry mate, that's not your fault. I'm the bloody git who summoned the brain thing. It's not like you threw it at me, or even that you didn't try to stop me. Besides, it doesn't hurt anymore, and it looks kinda cool. Besides, you know what they say, chicks dig scars," he countered as he continued to smile. His last statement did get Hermione roll her eyes.

Harry, however was unconvinced. "Still if I hadn't been so rash to go off like that, you never would have been there. If I had just thought more first, it, well, it wouldn't have happened is all." Harry lowered his head while he spoke and was now speaking to his plate.

Ron glanced at Hermione for a second and then continued. "That's too many if's for anyone to deal with mate. Look it's not like you forced me, or anyone to go with you. You wouldn't have been able to stop me even if you had tried. It was my choice to go. You're my best friend, and I would follow you anywhere, both of you," he said as he returned his gaze to Hermione, "Friends to the end, right?"

"Harry nodded, "Yeah, you're right."

Hermione wore a grateful expression on her face for his kind words, as Ron continued, "Plus now you get to take the mickey out of me. You can say something like 'Oh Ron, you're the brains of the operation', and stuff like that." This caused the other two to choke as they tried to stifle their laughter. "What?" he asked.

"Ron, I doubt that you'll ever hear either of us say that. We love you and all, but it just isn't very likely," Hermione retorted. Ron blushed, but joined his friends in their laughter all the same. He didn't have a chance to comment though as Professor McGonagall made her way over with the new course schedules.

"So what does it look like this year?" Ron said while he scooped some eggs into his mouth.

"Actually Ron," Hermione replied, "Our schedules will probably all be a bit different this year. But let's see anyway." Ron shoved his schedule into her hands indignantly. "Well we have charms together first thing today, and then Care of Magical Creatures with the Slytherins. But see here, I have double Potions in the afternoon and Friday, while you have those periods free. How about you Harry?"

Harry looked up from his own schedule and passed it over to Hermione. "I have the same as you today. Can't wait for Potions though, look."

Ron nearly choked on the food in his mouth, "Are you feeling okay Harry?"

Hermione rolled her eyes but then looked at the Potions schedule. "Hey wait, Potions is with Ravenclaw this year. Oooh that will be a pleasant change don't you think? No more Malfoy to deal with." The three friends grinned widely at that thought.

"Still you'll have Snape. I definitely won't be missing him. Anyway what else do we have together?" Ron asked with a hint of apprehension in his voice.

Hermione stared at his face for a moment before she continued comparing their schedules. "Well there's Defense tomorrow, but then I have Arithmancy while you and Harry have Herbology. Same for Thursday. After that is Transfiguration. Then I have Runes in the evening and you two are off again. Hmmm." Hermione paused for a second while she looked down the rest of the sheet. "Those are the only differences actually. Except that Harry has a few of his free periods marked with a star and the note at the bottom says for him to see McGonagall After dinner tonight. What is all that about Harry?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders, "Beats me. I guess I'll find out tonight." He had his suspicions of course, about what those stars were for, but decided to hold off telling his friends until he was sure. He was saved from his deliberations however as Ginny came over to them dragging Charlie in tow.

"Hey you lot, look who I found," she announced once she got close enough. "Imagine my surprise at finding our big brother was the new professor this year. Why if I had any idea I would have found a gift to welcome him back to Hogwarts, but I guess his only little sister didn't need to know." There was a nearly imperceptible change in the tone of her voice that should have been a warning for Charlie, but Harry wasn't sure if he noticed. "Oh well, I guess I'll just have to come up with an, appropriate present, to show him just how we feel about him being here, even if he didn't tell us. Something from the Fred and George perhaps." An evil smirk traipsed across her face which was reminiscent of the twins.

That look wasn't lost on Charlie though, who grinned in return. "Hey Ron, Hermione," he said, nodding at each of them. Ron reached out his hand to his brother, who shook it. "How are the scars there Ron? I'll show you one I got at the dragon reserve last year. It's nasty, but you know what they say, chicks dig scars." This caused Hermione to roll her eyes again. "Alright there Harry? By the way, Mum made me promise to keep an extra eye on you lot. Not like you need it. But if any of you need something, let me know. I may be a Professor, but I'm your brother and friend first. Something I made abundantly clear to Dumbledore before I accepted the position. Which, by the way Ginny, was only a week ago. So before you go getting me 'my present', you might want to consider that I had to pack up and travel back from Romania. I didn't have much time to get here, let alone come and visit to tell you in person," he said, looking somberly at the youngest Weasley. "Besides, who do you think got Fred and George set on the path of mayhem?" Charlie finished with a wink.

"Now that you mention it Charlie, why are you here instead of Romania? I mean, I thought you enjoyed working with the dragons. Why come here?" Ron asked thoughtfully.

"Oh it's no big deal really. I do like to working with the dragons, but I was at the end of an operation cycle, it's usually a three year period where you work with a specific type of dragon. Anyway, I knew Dumbledore needed help, so I took myself out of the rotation and took the position. Simple really. Say don't you all have a class to get to? I would hate to write to Mum and tell her I gave you all detention on the first day because you were late for class. We can talk more later. Why don't you stop by my office? That sounds a bit weird, doesn't it."

So with a few goodbyes they made their way out of the Great Hall and towards the charms classroom, while Ginny had headed down to the dungeons for potions. The three friends were a few minutes early for class and took their usual seats. An odd sensation seized upon Harry as he pulled his book out of his bag. He felt very much as though he were being watched, and his eyes searched the room warily. Just as quickly as it had come the feeling dissipated. Harry turned back to his friends to see them staring at him intently.

The class began with tiny Professor Flitwick lecturing the class on their preparations for the N.E.W.T. examinations the following year, and outlining the material they would be covering. The first day proceeded in much the same way, each Professor giving information on the expectations for the N.E.W.T.'s. Harry did get a chance to speak with Hagrid after class to ask about his summer. Hagrid told them about his further attempts at teaching Grawp, his brother who happened to be a giant, and the continuing poor relations with the centaurs.

Much to Harry's dismay, Potions had started much the same this year as it had the last five. Harry was almost immediately singled out by Snape, although in the presence of the Ravenclaw students his tactics were much more subversive. In the end, Harry managed to escape from the dungeon classroom only having lost ten points for Gryffindor House.

The evening ended with Harry's meeting with Professor McGonagall after diner. She informed him that he would have three extra lessons a week. Keeping with his word from over the summer, Professor Dumbledore would be instructing him in Occlumency on Monday evenings beginning the following week. Also Harry would be having additional defense lessons Tuesday afternoons with Charlie Weasley, which his friends were welcome to attend, and finally advanced Transfiguration lessons with Professor McGonagall herself on Thursday evenings. All in all Harry was satisfied with the proposed additions. As he walked back Gryffindor tower he considered how little free time he would have left, between regular classes, extra lessons, and Quidditch; although it was what he needed to do to prepare himself for the inevitable face-off with Voldemort. He considered asking Ron about having some early morning practices for the Quidditch team, an idea that would probably take quite a bit of convincing.


	15. The Letter

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Harry Potter or any characters or places in this story, they belong to JK Rowling. I am making no money from this story.

Author's Note: I was curious to hear what anyone thought of the sorting hat song. I was rather disappointed that nobody commented on it. I was expecting to hear that it was ok, or it sucked, or maybe even a few "good jobs" (LOL). Anyway, if someone has an opinion on my cheesy sorting hat song, please let me know. By the way, sorry about the grammatical errors in the last chapter. I just reread it, and am ashamed to find so many mistakes. I'll try to do a little better from here on, and will fix the errors at some point. Thanks for reading.

Jeremy

Chapter 15 The Letter

The first two weeks of the new term had passed by slowly in the confusion and haste of the students around him. Harry simply floated through the motions. Learning the new course schedule was easy enough. Most of his attention was focused on his new goals and how best to set about them.

At first his friends had been quite supportive, however seeing Harry pushing himself so much, in so many different directions, did make them a bit nervous. Still they noticed Harry's need to change and continued to try and help him. The thing is, he didn't really seem to need their help. In the two weeks since school started Harry had forced himself to do each assignment the same day it was given. Not only that but his in-class work was greatly improved, not that he was a bad student to begin with, just now he nearly rivaled Hermione, nearly. Not even Snape had found a reason to complain yet. A subject that shocked all of the sixth year Gryffindors. It was well known that Harry was a favorite target for the greasy haired Potions Master.

Aside from his school work, Harry had also taken to some early morning Quidditch practice. Although it was at Professor McGonagall's suggestion, that Harry should not practice alone, where his first need for help came. So each morning Harry dragged Ron out of bed and down to the pitch. They would take a few laps, and then do various drills to work on their Quidditch skills. Harry found that he had lost little in the way of ability during his ban last year, and was eagerly anticipating the upcoming season. The additional practice would certainly give him an edge, plus he pretty well knew his competition at the seeker level. It had remained unchanged in the last few years, with the exception of Hufflepuff. However, Cho would still be playing for Ravenclaw, and Malfoy for Slytherin. Neither had ever beaten him to the snitch before, and Harry felt sure that if he continued to practice like this he would be back in top form. The only opponent he hadn't faced was Summerby from Hufflepuff, but Ginny had grabbed the snitch right out from under his nose last season, so Harry was hopeful that he would prove up to the task.

He still had his Firebolt which provided a great advantage, but the odd thing was that it gave him a different perspective on his life. All because it reminded him of Sirius. The first time he mounted the broom memories of his Godfather washed over him, and when he flew he was lifted to a place where he knew he belonged. Old thoughts of guilt and anguish that had chased him all summer blew away with the wind rushing in his ears, only to be replaced by fond memories of a man who wanted Harry to be happy. A person who linked Harry to his parents, and Harry was slowly being freed by focusing on the good things. He spent many mornings returning from his practice not feeling overburdened by remorse, and almost happy.

It was one such Saturday that Harry returned to his dorm from the shower after practice and saw the letter from Sirius sitting on his nightstand. In the two months following the reading of Sirius' will Harry could not bring himself to read the message, always finding some excuse to wait, but still held it as one of his dearest possessions. Now he felt that the time had come to read the final words from his Godfather. As he sat on the bed and began to open the envelope Ron came back from his shower. He cast a tentative look at his friend before speaking in an understanding voice, "I can stick around if you like, or do you want some privacy mate? I can make sure that no one comes in for awhile if you prefer."

"Thanks Ron, I think I should do this by myself. I'll be down after I read this." Harry replied as he pulled the parchment from the packet.

Ron nodded his head and left for the common room after placing his things on his trunk.

With a small sigh Harry smiled and began to read:

Dear Harry,

I am writing this letter in case anything happens to me. Quite odd really, considering I do not leave the house. However, with Voldemort on the loose anything is possible, and I think it best to leave nothing unsaid. If you are reading this then I must have mucked things up pretty badly. I am sorry for that, but don't dwell on it too much.

There are a few things I should tell you, that I know we never really had the chance to talk about. Sometimes it is just easier to pretend that everything will be alright, and that whatever needs to be said can wait for a better time. Rarely is that true Harry. Even now, as I sit in my family's library writing this, I find it a bit silly trying to find the words I want to say. I never told you much about your parents, or how much they meant to me. Your father was the best friend I could ever hope for. I've told you about some of the great times we had, but I probably never said anything about how good a man he really was. He was always there for me when I needed him, much the way Ron and Hermione are for you. It was something more than that though, not just being able to depend on each other, but knowing that someone cared. That wasn't something I always had. Your mother was one of the only people who could keep us in line, but it was only because she cared. She kept us grounded, and showed me what family was supposed to be. When the first war broke out, they reminded me of just what we were fighting for, they gave me hope. I can see a lot of both of them in you. True that you look like James, but you have your mothers heart. You are your own man though, exactly the way they would have wanted. You have made me proud.

When I was sent to prison, it was something I felt I deserved at the time. It was my fault that they died, and I had let down two of the only people who have ever truly cared for me. I realize now that though my decision allowed it to happen, Peter had turned long before that, and would have eventually found a way to get to you, and that is the cold truth. If you haven't been told by now, then I think it's time you knew. I apologize for keeping this from you Harry, and I'm sure that you'll be angry once you hear it. My only excuse is that I was convinced that we might be able to protect you for a short time if you did not know. Voldemort did not go there to kill your parents, he came for you. There is a reason Voldemort continues to chase you, and why he tried to kill you that night. There was a prophecy made involving you, but I won't dare to write the contents here. If I am dead then you must speak with Dumbledore, he will be able to tell you about it, and prepare you for what lies ahead. The task set for you will not be easy, but in the end I know you will be standing tall.

In the event that I died I felt that it would be necessary to provide you with another guardian. As such, I have chosen someone I know will take care of you in the manner that your parents intended, though you hardly need it. I thought of someone we both trust, Remus. I think that you will accept this as one of my final wishes. I have already informed him of my decision, but it is not official until my will is read. Remus is a true friend Harry. He will have your best interests at heart so please do listen to him.

I have also left some money for you. Find something good to do with it. The only thing left for me to bestow is my parent's house. I have a lot of bad memories here and had hoped never to return. You however, may be able to make new and better memories, and I hope that you do. As for Kreacher he is bound to serve you until he dies. I know that he is wretched, but he must remain there because he knows too much. Do not be troubled by having a servant, he is not much use anyhow.

Well that's it. I am getting a bit tired of all this sappy stuff anyway. I think I may need to spike Moony's tea just for some excitement. Hopefully you'll never have to read this. If you do, then I want you to know this, and never forget it; I love you Harry. Goodbye Godson.

Truly,

Padfoot

Some time later, for Harry was not sure how long he had sat there, Ron poked his head in the door to their dormitory with Hermione right behind him. Harry had passed the time clutching the memory of his Godfather and weeping silently. Sad thoughts slipped away though, as his two best friends made their way in to comfort him.

"How are you doing Harry?" Ron spoke tentatively. "We thought we should check and see if you were ok, but we can leave if you still want to be alone."

Harry removed his glasses to rub his eyes for a second before standing up. "Thanks Ron, it's alright now." He folded up the letter and returned it to his bedside table. "I know I haven't ever said this, but it's something I've always known. You both mean everything to me. I don't know where I'd be without you. Thanks."

The brief heartfelt expression was too much for Hermione, who instantly enveloped them both in a hug. "Oh Harry, we know. Are you sure you're alright? If you want to talk or anything we're here."

"No Hermione, I am feeling pretty good now. Although, now that I think about it, I am pretty hungry. Is it time for lunch yet?" Harry said as his stomach gave a slight rumble.

"Of course it is you great prat. Come on, now that you mention it I'm feeling a bit hungry myself," replied Ron. They made their way down to the Great Hall to eat while discussing what they would need to do to improve the Quidditch team this year. Surprisingly Hermione had a few suggestions that Ron thought would work out well. The tables were full of raucous students chatting loudly over the meal, but nothing seemed to be able to shake the feeling of freedom and contentment that Harry finally felt.


	16. Dumbledore's Army

Author's Note: What single quality do you think defines a hero? Sure there are lots to choose from, but if you had to pick one that is essential to being that person, what would it be?

I thought the last chapter was a bit…. Lacking. It just wasn't what I was trying for. I think some parts of this chapter are better, I hope anyway.

Thanks to loony, BlueAdonis, Rayah Papaya, SarahS, smiley, Yumemirohito Neko, blued moon, and silly seal for all the reviews. I appreciate the encouragement. Please let me know what you think.

Thanks,

Jeremy

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Harry Potter or any characters or places in this story, they belong to JK Rowling. I am making no money from this story.

Chapter 16 Dumbledore's Army

The sense of peace that Harry had found in reading the letter from Sirius was short lived. The school awoke to news of attacks the night before. Rumors of the latest Deatheater strikes quickly spread at breakfast. Many of the students were struggling with the anxiety over the danger their families were facing. The Daily Prophet reported some thirty deaths during the weekend of both wizards and muggles. There was also mention of two Ministry employees who had gone missing and were presumed captured or murdered. Blazing on the front page was a photograph of the dark mark, hovering over the burning remains of a home. It seemed that most were unable to eat anything upon hearing the news, and only short whispers broke the silence that surrounded the meal, with the exception of the Slytherin table Even the teachers were unable to offer any reassurances.

Dark circles beneath his swollen eyes were evidence of the horrors of Voldemort's work. Harry had no need to read the articles, as he had witnessed many of the atrocities the previous night. He too found he had no appetite, despite the lack of sleep that resulted from the visions. Harry had struggled through the night trying to stay awake, and performing occlumency to shut out the images of torture and death. He had managed small degrees of success, but could not maintain the necessary focus the entire night. The pain in his scar greatly reduced his ability as well, as it was not a thought or vision, but rather the actual connection to Voldemort. This caused him to suffer an unbearable headache and made him feel nauseous. The lightning bolt cut blazed red upon his white skin, and his friends and dorm mates could only look at him with a mixture of sympathy and respect for what he was going through. Harry didn't notice any of those looks though, for he couldn't lift his head to look at anyone. He felt tired and alone, no matter how many people surrounded him.

Towards the end of the meal however the silence was broken. A group of Hufflepuff students approached the Gryffindor table, watching Harry reluctantly. "Excuse me Harry," spoke Susan Bones, who seemed to be leading them, "We were hoping to ask you something if you have a minute." All eyes were on him now, and still he did not look up. Instead he nodded his head for her to continue. "Well Harry, this is Clare Baxter, and Brian Steward. I told them about the DA that you ran last year, and we were wondering, hoping really, that you might continue this year. Their families were both attacked over the weekend, and, well," But she couldn't finish, though at this point she didn't have to. Harry knew what had happened, and he finally looked up.

"I wish there was something I could have done. I'm sorry you have to suffer this." he spoke softly.

"It's not your fault Harry. They just want to lea.." Hermione tried to interject, but Harry cut her short with a glance.

His eyes were alight surpassing the fatigue that enslaved him. Yet he remained somber. "If you want to learn more then I'll try to teach you. I can't promise that it will make a difference, but it will give us some hope." His voice stayed even as he tried to control the feelings of remorse and anguish. Even as he did so a power flowed about him. It was something that few there had experienced, and to some small degree seemed to resemble Dumbledore when he was angered. "We can start tonight at seven o'clock on the seventh floor. If you know anyone else who wants to come bring them as well." The power yielded yet the glow in his eyes remained. "If there is anything else I can do to help you please just ask. I know this can't be easy for you to go through. I'm sorry."

Clare and Brian stared in astonishment at his face, nodding their heads. They both looked quite shaken, and had obviously spent some time mourning for their families. The pity Harry felt squeezed at his heart. He felt useless, and doubted that he could make much of a difference. No action could ever bring back those who were gone, something he knew well. But he also knew that he had to try.

As Susan lead the two younger students out of the hall Harry turned to his friends, "Hermione, do those coins from last year still work?"

"Yes Harry, that charm won't wear off. You just need to set yours for all the others to work," she replied.

"Good. I'll set it right after breakfast. Will you both be coming? I'm going to need some help getting ready, and I think we should get there early."

Ron looked affronted at the statement. "Are you insane?" He paused for a moment and stared at Harry, who felt slightly disappointed with Ron's reply. "Of course we'll help you. We can go right after dinner," he continued with a small grin. "Although I'm not sure how much help I'll be."

"I think it would be a good idea to review some of what we learned last year, especially if there are a lot of new people." Hermione piped in. "And don't be ridiculous Ron, you're very good when you want to be, and Harry's going to need all the help he can get. By the way I've found some really interesting spells that we can work on this year, and they might give us an extra edge. After what happened at the ministry last year I realized we were overmatched by the spells the Deatheaters were using. I researched some more powerful hexes, but we'll definitely need to practice them a lot before we try teaching them to any of the other students. What?" she finished as she caught sight of Ron shaking his head in disbelief.

"Nothing, you're right of course. It's just that, well sometimes you can be a bit scary Hermione. Come on, we better get a move on if we're going to make it to class on time." The three friends left the Great Hall followed closely by some fellow students all trying to get to their classes.

In the wake of the reports the school soon became abuzz with students speculating on everything from the ministry's reaction, to the possibility of attacks at the school. By lunch the news of the DA meeting had spread and Harry, Ron, and Hermione could hardly eat as students from all houses asked questions about the group. Even some Slytherins stopped at the Gryffindor table seeking answers. Today was turning out to be really tiresome for Harry who had barely slept. Somehow he had forced himself through his morning classes. By the time lunch ended however, he was utterly exhausted. Hermione had to pull him up from the table so they could make it to the dungeons in time.

"Oh Harry I know you're tired, but we don't want to give Snape a reason to take points. Hurry up now." Hermione said as she tugged on his arm.

_Snape_ thought Harry. The last thing he wanted to do was attend double Potions, but there was no way around it. Wishing he had a pack of Skiving Snack boxes, Harry grudgingly dragged his feet along the corridor that lead to the dungeons. His scar had not stopped burning all day, and now his head was pounding, all in addition to the pictures that played over in his mind from the night before. It seemed that his limited success with Occlumency over the summer was slowly slipping away. He couldn't understand how or why, but he was definitely getting worse. Harry wondered whether Voldemort had not been as active in the past few months, or had there been so few visions because of the grief that Harry had been going through. Perhaps it was something else entirely, but either way the result was the same. Still all he wanted was to close his eyes.

That was not to be however. They arrived in class and took their seats. A moment later Professor Snape stalked into the classroom, eliciting silence as his robes billowed behind him. Harry prepared his supplies for the days lesson quickly, and opened his book to the appropriate page. He then focused his attention to the front of the room to await instructions from the greasy haired professor.

"Today class, we will be brewing a simple pepper up potion. This batch will used by Madam Pomfrey in the Hospital Wing. Tell me what are the potential dangers in brewing this particular Potion?" To no ones surprise Hermione's hand was in the air. They were however sharing the class with Ravenclaw, so her hand was not alone. Recently Harry had been putting in a lot of extra effort, and normally he would be trying to answer as well, but exhaustion had settled in and he did not have the desire to do anything at that moment. A point which Snape immediately picked up on. "Lets see then, Mr. Potter, the answer to the question if you please," Snape said, with the trademark silky malice lining his voice.

Harry stifled a yawn as he began to answer, "Sir, the danger would be in adding too much powdered salamander scales. Doing so would cause the potion to burn the throat and stomach of any person to take it, and is potentially fatal. It is particularly difficult to notice that type of mistake in this potion as it looks the same regardless of the amount of scales added. Therefore it is necessary to test the completed potion by placing a drop into a vial of stewed rat spleens to see if it incinerates them or not."

Snape looked quite disappointed that Harry had given a completely correct answer to his question. "Very well Potter. One point to Gryffindor. You may begin to brew your potions, the instructions are there," Snape said as he pointed his wand toward the board where the directions appeared. "Supplies are in the cupboard and you will all have this completed by the end of the class. Any noise will not be tolerated." And with that the class began.

Harry went through the process of preparing his ingredients carefully and adding them, double checking the instructions at each step. Soon his potion was simmering just as it should be, and Harry adjusted the flame to allow it to set for the proper amount of time. He checked his watch to be sure of the time he had left. All he had to do now was wait.

He sat staring at the bright yellow flame beneath his cauldron, and noticed the heat rising around it. What seemed like a moment later, he saw the haze rise and turn to a purple steam rising out of his potion. He knew that wasn't supposed to happen, and he started to panic. He moved to stop the potion from exploding, only to find that he couldn't move at all. He struggled, but some invisible force was holding him back.

"Potter! What is the meaning of this?" came the sharp voice of the Potions Master. Harry sat up with a jerk and looked around blearily. He felt Hermione's hand on his shoulder, and when he fixed his glasses noticed that she looked mildly afraid.

"Potter, I asked you a question. Perhaps you think that these lessons are beneath you. Just because you answer one simple question does not mean you are so advanced in Potions that you can fall asleep in this class. Twenty five points from Gryffindor, and you will see me after class to discuss your detention."

"Yes sir," Harry replied before looking to see that his potion was still good. It appeared that there was nothing wrong with it, he had simply fallen asleep and dreamed it all. He looked back to Hermione, who was shaking her head at him.

"Sorry Harry, I tried to wake you, but then you started moving and say something I couldn't make out. You were too loud though and he heard you." she said in a whisper.

"It's ok Hermione, it wasn't your fault, I shouldn't have fallen asleep. I'm just glad my potion is alright, I dreamt that something had gone wrong." Harry grinned a little as he explained what had happened.

Class ended without further incident, and Harry waited afterwards to face his doom. _At least _he thought_ I got full credit for my potion._

Snape looked like he had just been awarded the Order of Merlin. "So Potter, care to explain yourself?" he said in his deadliest tone.

Harry knew that it would be impossible to convince his Professor that it was unintentional, but figured it was worth a try. "Actually sir, there isn't really an excuse for falling asleep in class. I didn't mean to, but I did not sleep well last night, because of the attacks. I tried to block them out, but it was working as well as it did over the summer. I don't know why though. And also," Harry figured that he might as well be completely honest, "a lot of the other students have been following me around today asking for help learning more defense. I, I'm sorry for falling asleep in your class sir, it was disrespectful, and I'm ready to accept the responsibility."

Harry expected Snape to refute his claim, or otherwise berate him, what he got was something entirely different. "What of your lessons with the Headmaster? Does he know of your dreams?"

"Actually sir, the lessons have only involved me reading. We haven't done any practical work yet. I haven't told Professor Dumbledore about last night yet, I honestly have not seen him today. I haven't had much trouble in blocking most visions, usually if anything I see a brief glimpse, and have some pain in my scar. It's been getting more difficult lately though. Do you by any chance know why sir?"

"I have some ideas, but I would prefer to speak to the headmaster. Perhaps he will understand more. You will leave now, as for your punishment I believe that whatever you saw last night is more than sufficient. You will not however be so lucky should you allow this to happen in my class again. Do I make myself clear?"

Harry nodded his head, "Yes sir, I understand perfectly. Good Day." With that Harry left the dungeons. He soon found his friends waiting for him in the common room. They were amazed that Harry got away without further punishment, as he explained the story on the way down to dinner. They ate quickly so they could leave to set up for the meeting. Ron still managed to finish second helpings of everything.

As the three friends exited the Great Hall to go to the Room of Requirement, they were surprised to have Neville join them. He asked if he could tag along to help them out, and Harry readily accepted. Neville had proven himself as a good friend at the Ministry last year, and was steadily improving as a wizard. Harry knew that Neville had as much reason as anyone else to train hard. Both of Neville's parents had been tortured, at the hands of Deatheaters, until they had lost their minds. All because they were believed to have knowledge of Voldemort's location after he had fallen to Harry nearly fifteen years ago. When news of the Deatheater escape was released last year, Neville had been consumed with a fire to learn, and his will had pushed him to succeed where he had always been deficient before. The DA had given him confidence, and Harry helped him to learn, helped him to be a better wizard.

As they finished setting the room up at twenty minutes to seven students started to show up. At first it was just the original members, but soon new students from every house were arriving. Harry was concerned that a few Slytherins had even come. Though he didn't really know them, as they were mostly from the lower years, he was unsure of what to expect. He considered for a moment that Malfoy might even have sent them to spy. It was a thought that Ron shared as well. In the end Harry decided that it wouldn't make much of a difference, either they were there to really learn, or to spy. Regardless, nothing that happened at the meetings was secret anymore, so they wouldn't be gaining any extra information from being there. Also Dumbledore did want him to allow all the houses to join. Perhaps it was a good way to establish some trust between the houses.

The commotion from all the gathered students made it difficult to hold any order. Many of the witches and wizards gathered stared at Harry expectantly, including one large pair of eyes that went unnoticed at the back of the room. These particular eyes watched not only Harry, but his closest friends as well. They were intent upon every movement and word that was exchanged between the group surrounding Harry. Intent, but without a sign of malice or goodwill, completely devoid of any emotion other than curiosity.

The size of the group had nearly tripled, a fact that astonished Harry. There were many complaints about the lack of space, as the students greeted each other and discussed what they would be doing. Only when he used the sonorous charm to make himself heard over the noise did everyone settle down. As soon as he had control Harry concentrated on the space they would need and the room seemed to stretch to allow for the number of students. Hermione had everyone sign a sheet (one that was not hexed) so that they knew everyone who was present.

After explaining what the purpose of the DA was, and setting down some ground rules they began to review some of the spells that had been taught last year. A few of the students even ventured to ask questions about what had happened at the Ministry in June, and other things that Harry had done.

Seeing his discomfort his friends took it upon themselves to answer. Ginny, Ron, and Luna fielded the queries while Harry and Hermione continued to aid those who were having problems with the spells. At quarter to nine Harry stopped all the different activities to end the meeting. It was decided that they would meet again the following week at the same time, in order to give Harry a chance to prepare for the amount of people who would be attending. With that the other students filtered out of the room, each heading back to their own common rooms, while Harry and his friends straightened out the room.

Once they returned to the Gryffindor common room Hermione immediately started to compile a list of spells they should work on at the next meeting. Ron engaged Harry in a game of chess, as Ginny and Neville set about doing their homework.

"I think that went fairly well for having that many people. What about you Harry? You might want to think about splitting it up into different abilities, or maybe having two meetings, one for the lower years, and one for the older students." Hermione said pensively.

Harry answered as his knight took one of Ron's pawns, "I'm not sure Hermione. I mean it's a good idea, but two separate meetings would be a lot of extra work, and I'm not sure if I'll have enough time between classes and Quidditch. Maybe we can separate by ability, and then alternate teaching, that way we all get a chance to practice, and the new people can still learn at their own pace. That is if you guys are willing to help."

Ron snorted at this idea. "I don't know about that mate, having me teach might not be such a great plan. Besides, I need all the practice I can get."

"Well I think you'd do just fine Ron. Think about it, have you ever tried to show someone else how to do something? It gives you a completely different understanding of what you're doing. Makes you see it in another way. It might actually help." Harry replied.

"I never thought about it like that. I guess I could give it a try," Ron said as he told his queen to take Harry's bishop. "That's check by the way."

Neville looked up from his parchment and added, "You can count me in, I could use the extra work."

There was a small explosion across the room as the Creevey brothers seemed to have been trying out a new spell. A round of laughter spread through the room as everyone looked to see the two purple haired brothers grinning at each other.

"Well, I think that will work out Harry," said Hermione who had finished her list. "This should be enough to get us started. What about you Ginny? Do you think you could help out as well?"

Ginny had been intent on a foot long essay for Transfiguration. She nodded her head as she continued to write. "Yeah, I'll do whatever you need, just let me know ahead of time. Of course, with O.W.L.s this year it will be a little tough. I might not be a lot of help towards the end of the year, but I can help out for now."

Hermione stood up. "Then it's settled. I think I'm going to bed now. See you in the morning."

Everyone said goodnight to her as she headed up to the girls dormitory. Soon Ron had beaten Harry, and Neville finished his work. He too went to bed. Harry and Ron sat by the fire for awhile talking about Quidditch, and what the team looked like this year. It was getting late and they decided to turn in.

Ron looked at his sister as they stood up. "Hey Ginny, did you want some help with that? I know I'm not Hermione, but I might know what you're working on."

Ginny shook her head, "No, thanks Ron, but I'm just about done."

"Are you sure, I mean we really could help. I know the teachers pile it on during O.W.L. year," Harry added.

"That's ok, I'm doing good so far. Don't worry, if I need help I'll ask. There, I'm all finished," she grinned as she put her books back into her bag. "Thanks a lot you guys. Well I'm going to bed too. Goodnight."

"Alright Ginny, see you in the morning then," Ron said as he and Harry made their way up the stairs to the boys dorm.


	17. Snakes In The Grass

Author's Note: I have this chapter all but finished, so while I'm sitting here stuck on what to right, I think I should answer the reviews. BTW, I kinda screwed up with posting the last chapter only a few hours after the fifteenth, you may want to look to see if you read it or not, not that it's all that good, but you'll be missing a chunk of the story otherwise.

Smiley: sorry, but if you mean feature Harry and Hermione as a couple, then the answer is no, as you'll see in this chapter. In my mind they are more like a brother and sister (I know I'm not the first to come to that analogy) However, I do hope to get a bit more of her and Harry talking, maybe you'll like that. Thanks for reading either way.

Ray: thanks as usual for your review, I know I've dropped the ball on giving Harry an edge, best I can say is that I'll work on it. Unfortunately I have found that I am not good at giving plot and character at the same time, and right now, I need to get some ideas moving. I think you may catch a glimpse of that in this chapter, just keep in mind I'll keep trying to improve the quality of both. Thanks for sticking around to see where we go.

ILikeSpaghetti: I like spaghetti too. Yeah Spaghetti! Seriously, it was great to find your review waiting in my e-mail. I know what you mean about withdrawal, I just can't focus without a healthy dose of hog warts and heroes every few days, lol. Thanks for your kind words.

****

To everyone else, thanks for reading. I hope to hear from you after this chapter, but even more, I hope you actually like what you read. Enjoy.

Jeremy

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Harry Potter or any characters or places in this story, they belong to JK Rowling. I am making no money from this story.

Chapter 17 Snakes in the Grass

The days slowly rolled by as the month of October took reign. The mornings about the castle grew chill and windy. Harry and Ron had taken to wearing an extra layer of clothing for their dawn Quidditch practice. Many days were actually beginning with a drizzle of rain before the clouds would clear to a pale autumn sky.

It was one such morning that they returned to the common room to find the other Gryffindors gathered around the bulletin board. With a smirk on his face, remembering the dread from the previous year's Educational Decrees, Harry stepped up to see what this new announcement could be. With a sigh of relief he found that it was not a posting of some sweeping new legislation, but rather a notice for Halloween. Ron however grimaced as he read over Harry's shoulder. The notice read:

All Students

Please Note that the Halloween Feast this year

Will be held as a ball. It is a semi-formal event,

so dress robes are not required, and is open to all

Students. There will be a feast followed by music

and dancing. The doors shall open at Seven o'clock

And the ball will end at Eleven o'clock.

Albus Dumbledore

Headmaster

"Well," started Harry, "That sounds like fun eh?" In all reality though he thought it was a strange idea. _Why would anyone hold a ball during the middle of a war. Surely with all the attacks occurring in both the wizard and muggle worlds there was something better that they could be doing._

Ron broke through his thoughts, looking at him slightly bewildered. "Fun? Have you lost it mate? Don't you remember what it was like last time there was a ball?"

"Of course I do, but this time there isn't any pressure, for me any way. I don't have to be sitting in front of everyone, or find a date, or anything. Actually, I don't even have to go if I don't want to. What? I'm serious," Harry responded to Ron's wide-eyed stare. "Besides, it doesn't really seem so important, with everything else that's going on," his voice trailed off as a distant look glazed over his face.

For a moment Ron remained in utter disbelief, knowing Harry's thoughts had turned to concerns far away, unconcerned with the small matters that they should all be able to worry about. Thinking of the unfairness of it all stiffened his own resolve. He would see to it that his friends were allowed one night of fun, despite the war blazing beyond the halls of Hogwarts. His mind was set and he straightened up. "Well, I learned my lesson last time, I know just what I'm going to do." With that he turned and headed further into the common room, to put his plan into action.

Harry followed him, slightly bemused, wondering exactly what Ron intended to "_do"_. Ron paused for a moment as his eyes searched the room. "What are you looking for?" Harry asked, but Ron did not answer, instead he strode over to a table in the corner of the room, and Harry followed.

"Excuse me Hermione. I was umm, wondering if you read the notice today?" She responded to Ron by nodding her head, but not looking up from her book. A smile crept over Harry's face as he figured out what lesson Ron had learned. "Good, well then, I was err, wondering, ahh hoping you would like to go to the ball with me?" He ended the statement as a question, and was beginning to look a little green.

"I'm sorry Ron, I was finishing my essay, what did you say?" she responded blankly while she began packing away her books.

Ron cleared his throat nervously, "I said, would you like to go to the ball with me?"

She looked taken aback for a moment, but quickly replied, "Yes, I can, I mean I do, no, I mean I will," she finished breathlessly.

All three were beaming now, "Well now that's settled, we just have to find someone to go with Harry. I don't reckon Parvati would have a second go with you mate. Anyone you think you might fancy?" Ron said while Hermione gave his hand a small squeeze.

Harry just shook his head disbelievingly, "No, and I told you I'm not going to even bother looking. It just isn't a priority for me, and I don't need the added pressure, or expectations of some girl who's read one to many _Witch Weekly _articles."

A goofy grin spread across Ron's face, "We'll see." Then his grin turned into a more sly look, though he was trying to conceal it, and failing miserably. "Hey I know, why don't you take Ginny. It's still early, so if you ask her now, she might not have a date yet." His voice sounded almost hopeful, but Harry was already heading to the dorm waving his hands helplessly over his shoulder.

Harry felt all too well the added pressure he needed to avoid, without Ron trying to force a date on him. The following week brought more tales of suffering with each daily paper, while his Occlumency lessons still yielded less results. He found now that he was also spending a lot of his extra time planning the DA meetings, which he was now holding twice a week, along with Quidditch practices. And that was in addition to the now daily escapes he had to make from the array of girls asking him to go to the ball. Most days left him without a spare moment and it began to wear on him.

One evening in particular, he felt that he was trapped, and being hemmed in. The doom that awaited him was not eased in his mind by extra studies, or thoughts of Quidditch matches, or even the fulfillment of helping other student prepare to defend themselves. Harry decided that he needed a change from his routine just in that moment. He dropped his bag in his dormitory, and headed out through the common room. At first he wandered the halls, ignoring the growing hunger he felt. Hours, it seemed, he let his feet lead him along many quiet halls. Until finally, his legs had borne him outdoors, and guided him to the lake, and he felt like walking no further. On the further shore the trees of the forest loomed up as silver giants shining in the night. Nearer at hand a chill breath of the fall whispered in his ear, sending ripples into the stars that were reflecting on the lake. The grass about him stood gray in the twilight, yet it held the memory of green from the day lit hours not long passed. Evening had just drifted into night, and it was nearing curfew. There were many glints of lights twinkling at him from the castle windows.

It was in the simple beauty of this place he called home that he found relief. All he cared for, and wished to protect was housed on this land. Every good feeling and memory he had ever had was started here. And he knew that it was dear to him, Hogwarts always meant hope; he just needed to look up from his daily toils to remind himself why this place was special. Feeling his burden lessen, he turned and headed back to the school.

But it was in the looking up, that Harry found that not all was well. As he neared the broad entrance doors, he saw several dark-clad figures slipping along the side of the school heading past the green houses towards the forbidden forest. For a moment he paused, questioning himself as to whether he should follow, or if it would be another in his long list of rash actions, _playing the hero_, so to speak. The thought died quickly as he saw the group of maybe four, he couldn't tell in the deep gloom, already they were halfway to the forest, and would easily disappear before he could summon help. His decision made, he started after them, following their the pale lanterns, prowling behind them as silently as he could.

Creeping into the eves of the wood, Harry was torn between wishing his friends were with him, and relief that none of them could be harmed because they were following him. The group he followed spoke no words that he could hear, though a low murmuring seemed to bind the air around them. Swiftly they made their way to a deep glade far within the borders of the forest. The dark cloaks that each wore were featureless in the moonless night, unless that the darkness itself was so extraordinary, that they seemed to be woven from the surrounding twilight.

Now hidden within the dell, the four separated and formed a small circle, each facing inward. One moved to the center and placed some object on the ground and returned to their place. Now in turn, each placed some indiscernible token upon the ground.

Harry was hoping it was nothing more than a prank, and he could get away without doing anything foolish; but in his stomach he knew that this was more than just a bit of mischief. He continued to watch from the shadow of a tree, as the four figures turned outward and began chanting a spell, "_negritude ad operire perubique"; _one voice starting and each adding to it in turn until all were raised together. But the first voice he recognized, and the incantation was easy enough to guess, something about disease covering something, but it was obviously a piece of dark magic. Unsurprisingly, the lead voice belonged to Draco Malfoy. In the center of their circle a sickly green light slid along the ground between the tokens that were placed there, but in the dim light Harry still couldn't make out what they were. But now he was come to it, what should he do. He could guess at two of the other dark figures, as Malfoy was almost never without them. He wasn't sure of the fourth, but it mattered little, if he could stop one of them, he would at least stop the spell, which he was sure needed to be done. He didn't know the actual effects of the spell, or what purpose it was being cast for. Beyond that though, he didn't know if it could be undone once completed. Help was now even further from his reach and would not be coming. "_Time to do something stupid_," he murmured to himself and stepped out from behind the tree.

Stealthily he inched closer, and took aim at the one he thought to be Malfoy. "Stupefy!" he cried and leapt towards the circle. Draco never saw the spell that hit him, and was instantly out of the fight. The others turned on him but Harry fell one of the larger of the larger two, assuming it was Crabbe or Goyle. A yellow flash grazed across his cheek, and Harry ducked in time to miss the second curse. "Serpensortia! Protego," came the next two spells even as more hexes flew towards him. The snake that had launched from his wand needed no command as it sped toward the other oversized boy. Harry had blocked a stunner that was aimed at him when a horn sounded at the northern edge of the wood. Harry did not lose his focus though, and used a disarming spell on the unknown fourth member of the group. Meanwhile, Goyle, or maybe Crabbe was still being chased by the snake and was failing at his attempts to banish the thing as it nipped at his heels.

As pounding footsteps came closer, Harry made to stun whomever it was running from the snake when a shout of "Avis!" caught him off his guard. Harry dove to the ground to avoid the flock of birds that soared at him. In that instant the four had made their escape from the clearing. Apparently the fourth witch or wizard had grabbed Malfoy's wand when Harry turned. They must have revived Draco and the other, and run off in the commotion. Still as Harry stood again and faced the oncoming of who he now knew to be Hagrid, from the pounding footfalls and the baying of Fang, he was satisfied that he had stopped whatever that spell would have done. He also noticed that in the remains of their circle were left the different tokens. He was glad, because that would help to identify the spell. Also, he noted that some of the items were expensive, and would not be easily replaced. There he could see a branch of wormwood, and egg of some sort, hellebore root, a whole bicorn horn, and a small glass vial in the center, still corked, but apparently empty.

Hagrid bounded into view with his crossbow in hand. "Harry, wha' are yeh doin' here?" he gasped. "The forest ain' safe no more, you oughta know tha'."

Harry glanced over his shoulder again to be sure that the four dark figures had left, and spoke to Hagrid in a low tone, "Hagrid, good thing you showed up, I need to go see Professor Dumbledore. There were just four wizards who I followed here from the school. They were dressed almost like Death Eaters, and they were performing some spell. Look!" Harry stepped aside and showed the remains of the circle. "Please Hagrid, I think it was a group of students, and the incantation didn't sound pleasant."

Hagrid didn't hesitate for a second, "Alrigh', alrigh'. Come on then 'arry, get tha mess an le's get outta here." Harry quickly stooped and gathered all the items and they headed in as near a straight line as they could for the castle. They weren't deep into the forest, and there was little brush to contend with. Actually the trees that surrounded them were vast in their height and beauty. Almost one would wish to have more time to spend among them in the daylight. But now it was dark, and those woods were no place to linger at night.

Soon they reached the door to the entrance hall. Harry had relayed a brief account of who and what he had seen, all the while doubling his pace to keep up with Hagrid's massive strides. "You go on up an see Dumbledore. Tell im I'll be waitin' down 'ere at the doors in case they haven' already come back in."

"Thanks Hagrid, I'll tell him," and Harry turned and strode off to the Headmaster's office. On the way up the stairs, it did occur to him that he was probably in for some punishment, after going into the forest, and being out after curfew. _This is a bit more important than how many detentions I have to serve though, _he thought to himself as he reached the gargoyle.

"Ice mice," Harry stated and the gargoyle leapt aside. When he reached the top of the revolving stairs he knocked on the door and waited for the summons from inside.

"Enter," came the soothing voice of the Headmaster. "Ahh, Harry, good evening. You are out rather late I believe. I will assume that this visit is not in regards to the Halloween Ball. What may I do for you?" Dumbledore asked from behind his desk. The twinkle in his eyes was subdued, Harry thought perhaps due to the recent attacks.

Harry steadily set about relaying his tale again for the elder wizard. He produced each of the tokens and the Headmaster examined them. When Harry had finished he slumped back in his seat to give Dumbledore time to ponder all that he had heard. Harry was used to this part of their meetings now, and was in no rush after the long evening to do anything. Harry watched as the man in front of him stood from his seat and began to pace the floor of his office.

Dumbledore returned to his seat after uncounted minutes of thought. "Forgive me Harry, I was lost in thought for a moment. It seems that once again this school owes you a debt of gratitude. I see that you have been injured, would you like to see Madam Pomfrey before we continue?"

As Dumbledore mentioned it, Harry felt a burning sensation on his cheek. Putting his hand on his face, he found a small cut along his cheekbone, not deep, but trickled with a little blood. He hadn't noticed it before, but now, after having time to settle he could tell that it would need some attention. Still, he wished to learn more about what had happened in the forest, and what Dumbledore planned on doing. "Not yet sir. I would prefer to hear what you think about this, and then I will go see her afterwards if that is alright."

Dumbledore nodded his assent, "Very well then Harry. Although, it occurs to me now that you were not at dinner this evening, may I offer you a sandwich?" Harry suddenly felt the hunger that he had long since forgotten. He nodded his head, and a second later a platter of sandwiches appeared on a side table, along with a pot of tea. "There are many questions we must consider in this matter, not the least of which is why you would follow four unknown wizards into the Forbidden Forest." Harry caught the sparkle that shone brighter in Dumbledore's eyes for an instant. "However, I believe it is far more relevant to ask why those students would be performing that spell. Indeed I am also curious as to why they chose the forest as the location to cast it. I am familiar with this spell, and it's uses. It was originally used to clear land of wildlife and vegetation, it worked slowly, but thoroughly, to remove parts of the environment and make the land open for wizard use. In more recent years it has been used as a weapon. You see Harry, by applying this spell to a water source or food supply for a community the aggressor could simply starve their victims, or even effectively use it to poison their enemies. However, the draw back is that it can only cover a certain area, perhaps no more than a mile. Simply stated it does not have the power to directly effect Hogwarts at that distance." Dumbledore paused here to think more.

Harry quietly sat munching on a roast beef sandwich. If what the Professor said was true, then there had to be something else that they intended to effect. _Wait what did he say, directly effect? Maybe it wasn't meant to effect Hogwarts in a direct sort of way._ "Sir, is it possible that they could have intended to effect Hogwarts indirectly. I mean, wouldn't spreading disease in the forest provoke some of the creatures who live there?"

"Now you have it my boy. Yes, that would be a very clever plan, if only they hadn't been seen. Certainly relations with the Centaurs have been strained lately. This might have been enough to solidify any anti-wizard feelings that they hold. A very Slytherin plan I must confess, never would their hand in this have been felt if you had not intervened. That still leaves much to think about however. We have now the who, what, when, and the where. That still leaves the how and the why. How did they learn this spell, and gather the supplies, and manage to sneak out on the first night of the new moon. Why they did it is another matter entirely, although I believe the answers should be easy enough to guess. At any rate, I will be speaking with Professor Snape ere the evening grows much longer. You, however, have done enough already tonight. Please go see Madam Pomfrey, and then return to your dorm Harry and get some rest. I will fill you in in the morning with the results." Harry knew that the conversation was over, and he gladly headed out of the Headmaster's Office in desperate need of a bed.


	18. Quidditch

Author's Note: Whew! Sorry about taking solong toupdate. A quick apology to start, I had previously written that there would be a Yule Ball (I know, how original right?), but I switched it around to be a Halloween Ball instead. I have edited the statement out, but felt it was best to inform anyone who has been keeping up with this story. This Chapter is probably not worth the wait, but it does set up someone's return in the next chapter (no not him, he is definitely dead), hopefully even if the writing is bad this cheap plot twist will keep you tuned in. Enjoy.  
Jeremy

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Harry Potter or any characters or places in this story, they belong to JK Rowling. I am making no money from this story.

Chapter 18 Quidditch

"You did what?" exclaimed Hermione the following morning. A few passing first years were startled by her outburst. Ron shot them a withering glare and they hurries on their way. "Harry are you insane? It could have been a trap. You could have been hurt, or kidnapped. What were you thinking?"

They were seated in a corner of the common room before breakfast, and Harry had just informed his friends of last night's events. Sun was shining in through the windows high above the grounds of Hogwarts. A light mist lay on the dewy grasses below. But in the common room the fire glowed warm.

"Actually Hermione I think the question of my sanity was already covered by The Prophet last year," Harry replied in an sullenly. "First off, nothing did happen to me. And secondly, I did consider the fact that it was a trap, which is why I stayed out of sight, and watched and waited before I did anything. If there had been time to get help I would have, but they would have disappeared into the forest long before I could have found someone."

Hermione wouldn't be mollified so easily though. "That's not the point Harry, and you know it," she returned heatedly.

"Then what is the point. I stopped them from completing a spell that would have destroyed part of the forest and pitted the centaurs against us. And I knew that it was a risk before I went after them. It was well worth it too if you ask me, and even Dumbledore wasn't upset with me for following them," he retorted with a matching fire in his voice.

She shook her head sadly and cast her eyes dolefully upon him. "Oh Harry. I didn't mean that stopping them was wrong. I just, it's just that you…. you know that we just don't want anything to happen to you. It could just have easily been a dangerous curse that last one used, and then what would have happened. I'm sorry, I only wish we had been there to help you," she finished despondently.

Harry observed that when she mentioned a more dangerous curse that her hand reflexively moved to her chest, the place where she had been struck by Dolohov at the Ministry. He also took notice of Ron's concern at her reaction to her words. "Look, I wish you had been there too. I honestly wasn't looking for trouble, and I don't want to fight about this. Plus if you had been there I'm sure they wouldn't have escaped. But I don't see how it could have been prevented, so we just have to be glad that nothing worse did happen, and hope it never comes up again."

A small chuckle passed Ron's lips, "No offense mate, but trouble usually has a way of finding you. Short of never letting you out of our sight, I doubt that something like this won't ever happen again."

Hermione was beginning to look like she might cry. "It's not funny Ron. He could have been really hurt. And I'm sorry Harry but you've been through too much already. I'm worried about what's going to happen to you."

"She's right you know. I hate to say it, but I'm a bit nervous myself. This isn't going to stop anytime soon I think, and you won't be safe until it's over Harry."

Harry nodded his head. "I know. Don't you wish now that I hadn't told you?"

"That wouldn't change the fact that you're still in danger," Hermione put in, "And I am glad that you told us. You were right to be angry last year when nobody told you what was going on. A lot would have been different if they had just been upfront with you Harry. But besides that, Ron is right, we can't always be next to you just in case something happens. There must be something we can do."

The three friends sat in quiet thought for a moment. Suddenly Harry jumped up. "Hold on, I have an idea," and with that he raced up the dormitory stairs. A minute later he returned holding a small velvet bag. "Here!" he said and emptied the contents onto the table they were seated at. Shards of glass spilled out along with an empty frame.

"Umm, I don't get it Harry. What is it?" asked Ron.

"It was something Sirius gave me last year. If I had thought before rushing off to the Ministry, it might have saved us the trip, and a lot more than that." His friends caught the look of remorse on his face. He leaned in conspiratorially as he continued. "It was one of a pair of mirrors that he and my father used while they were in school. They were charmed so they could speak to each other, no matter where they were. He said that they used them a lot when they were in detention," he whispered with a weak grin. "Anyway, if we can find the charm, I think that it might solve the problem."

"Harry that's a great idea!" Hermione exclaimed. "I'm pretty sure I've seen this charm before. I'd have to double check, but I think it should be easy enough. What happened to this one though, how did it get broken?" Harry cast a sidelong look at the fire, but did not answer her question. Seeing his discomfort she continued, "Well, I can look it up this afternoon if you like, but we'll need some more mirrors to use."

"Reparo," said Harry, as he pointed his wand at the glass on the table. Immediately the mirror was fixed and set anew in it's frame. "Well, there's one. I can order some more from Dervish & Banges after class this morning. Anyway, we had better get going, or we won't have time for breakfast before class." Harry stood up, looking forsaken.

Ron and Hermione knew that his loss still lay heavy on his heart at times. Usually if the conversation turned to anything that reminded him of his godfather he would get a sad, lost air about him. Mostly though he was used to the pain, and would return to normal after a few minutes. They hoisted up their packs and left for the Great Hall, giving him the time to recover.

At breakfast the conversation turned to talk of the Halloween Ball, and Quidditch, and classes. They had found some seats with Ginny, Neville, and the Creevey brothers. Slowly the sorrow left Harry's face, but his eyes seemed to be searching for something.

Finally they settled, and Neville noticed where he was staring. "Everything alright Harry?"

"Err, yeah Neville, I was just thinking," he replied, but said no more. Hermione took the chance to fill in the others in Harry's silence, but was constantly watching for a response in Harry's face.

"Wow Harry," said Colin, "Four wizards at once, that's amazing!" he finished with a gleam of the old admiration in his eyes.

"Are you alright though Harry?" asked Ginny.

"What? Oh yeah Gin, I'm fine. Thanks for the support by the way Colin. I was just wondering what Dumbledore is doing about them. I didn't expect to see them here, I thought that they would at least have been suspended from the school." Harry continued to gaze at the Slytherins.

"Yeah, well leave it to those snakes to worm their way out of it. At least Malfoy can't threaten anyone with his father anymore," chortled Ron. "Still, we'd better be really careful around them. If they know it was you that stopped them last night Harry, then they aren't going to let it slide if they can help it.

Just as Ron was speaking Malfoy looked up from his friends and sneered malevolently at Harry. "Yeah, maybe you're right Ron. But I doubt Malfoy's got the guts to do anything if he thinks Dumbledore is suspicious. I'm going to speak with Dumbledore to find out what is happening though." With that Harry got up from the table to find Dumbledore.

"Ron is going with you Harry," said Hermione flatly. Ron looked a little disgruntled at her presumption, but was quickly quelled when she continued. "Remember what we talked about before. I'll go with Neville, and meet you in class."

It was Tuesday morning and Harry, with Ron, entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom just in time. They had not managed to find Dumbledore, not even in his study, a fact which had Harry thoroughly annoyed. They took their seats next to Hermione as Charlie gave them a faint smile. The classes he had been teaching focused on dueling techniques and defensive spells, but also on ways to protect yourself from dark wizards, by means of detection and escape. They had covered the use of disapparition, port keys, and other means of travel, and were now moving on to dark arts detectors such as sneakoscopes, and a Foe Glass; and protection wards that could prevent people from finding you, or let you know if someone was entering your property.

Most of the students in Harry's class had been members of the DA, and were doing exceptionally well in the dueling portion of the class, a fact which hadn't been overlooked by Professor Weasley at all. He had spent an entire week of classes discussing what they had done in their secret meetings. Harry received a lot of praise from his classmates, and was generally recognized as the reason that they had done so well on their O.W.L. exams.

This week however Harry, like many other students, was preoccupied with the upcoming Quidditch season. Tryouts had been scheduled for all houses to fill the open slots on their respective teams. Gryffindor was slotted for the pitch on Friday, leaving Harry and Ron with three days to prepare, and avoid the attention of all the prospective players. That task was proving exceedingly difficult, as Gryffindors from all years kept popping up trying to convince the Co-Captains to pick them. Some had even gone as far as following them around between classes, and a few bordered on ridiculous; including a third year girl who despite his evasion, had stormed after Harry into his dorm room, only to be chased out by a very red-faced Ron.

With only two positions to fill, Friday couldn't come fast enough. Most of the planning was left to Ron, as Harry was already splitting most of his time between studying, extra lessons, and the DA. All of this was compounded by the steady burning in his scar. The pressure in his head was becoming a constant, and painful with anticipation. He had mentioned it during his previous Occlumency lesson, but Professor Dumbledore said that they would soon begin working on more than just theory, and that would hopefully put an end to the influx of emotions and visions. Until then he would just need to try to relax and clear his mind before bed.

So it was that on a blustery Friday afternoon, that a bleary eyed Harry walked beside Ron toward the pitch before dinner. His head may have been throbbing, but he was keen on getting in the air today and seeing who the new members would be. They retrieved the crate of balls from the shed and set off on their brooms to loosen up. As a crowd of Gryffindors started to build up on the pitch below the Co-Captains returned to the ground to meet with the team first. Katie Bell was there, huddled with Sloper and Kirke, the team's Beaters. After exchanging greetings, Ron gave them the game plan and sent them off to warm up while he and Harry spoke with the potential recruits.

Ginny Weasley's red hair was easily distinguished in the crowd of about twenty. Both Harry and Ron had told her that she didn't need to try out because she had been on the team the previous year, but she said she would rather earn the position over anyone else trying out. It was a large turnout for only two positions, but hopefully that would translate into a few good choices.

Ron took charge again as the two captains addressed the group of potential chasers. "Listen up now! If you're not here to try out for chaser, you can leave now, as we only have those two spots to fill," he paused but no one moved. "Right then, you're going to warm up first with three laps around the pitch. After that we're going to put you through a few drills, and then pair you off to scrimmage with our current chaser Katie. The results will be posted in the common room on Sunday. Now if there are no questions let's get to it." With that the group mounted their brooms and set off around the field.

After running a few of the drills Harry sat on his broom a little above the action in order to evaluate the pairs of chasers playing with Katie. His view gave him an overall view of their flying performance and teamwork, while Ron at the hoops got a feel for their shooting prowess.

Ginny did as well as they expected, and was the most refined candidate there. She had the practice and confidence from the previous season to give her an edge. Slightly faster, if somewhat less controlled, was Natalie MacDonald, the third year girl who had chased Harry into his Dorm. Once she had the quaffle she did fine, but had trouble catching a pass and handling her broom at the same time. Overall she was good Harry thought. Unfortunately, Dennis Creevey had a little less speed, and a lot less control, and that was before the passing. Much like his first trip across the lake, it was only a matter of time before he fell. Fortunately Harry was flying a bit closer just in case, and managed to steady him before he took a complete dive.

There were a few others who gave worthy performances, including Seamus, who flew pretty well and only missed a few shots. After the hopefuls were dismissed Harry and Ron sent the team on to dinner before they started to discuss who they wanted to play. There was little room for argument though and soon they were showered and heading to the Great Hall. They wanted to discuss their choices with the rest of the team before announcing the results, so anyone who asked if they made the team was turned away. The meal was far from peaceful though, with the whole of Gryffindor House wanting to know who their new players were.

Harry made a quick escape when one of the Hufflepuffs dropped their plate and everyone was looking in the direction of the commotion. While the practice had been great for clearing his mind, the pleading all through his meal had brought back the ache in his head doubly strong, and he had had enough. He knew that if he were to return to the common room it would be more of the same, so instead he headed off to the library, where he could find quiet solitude. He figured that while he was there he may be able to get in some extra research. One of the benefits he had been granted this year with his studies of Occlumency and Advanced Defense was access to the Restricted Section of the library. He had only used it so far for assigned studies, but he was eager to do some research of his own. It sort of fit in with his new agenda of studying more. Harry didn't really know what it is he wanted to find, but he had a feeling that just looking through the books he would find many useful things, and maybe more.

Three hours. Three hours, he had spent sitting at this table, flipping through book after book, scroll after scroll. Most were informative, if a little boring. Still, he had thought that he might have come across something more useful than The Uses of Snake Venom and Other Toxins In Poisons. He was certain he wouldn't be able to poison Voldemort, and even if he could, it was unlikely that Voldemort wouldn't know the cure. He was tracing the scar on his throbbing head with his finger when it occurred to him what he was trying to find. He wanted to know how to kill Voldemort. "Good Luck," he laughed morosely to himself, closing the book and his eyes as well. Really, he wasn't even sure Voldemort could be killed. Perhaps Dumbledore had a plan, but he certainly hadn't shared it with Harry yet. Inwardly he rolled his eyes, knowing were this line of thought would lead him. He kept telling himself that he did trust the Headmaster, but occasionally a thought would slip in, and he knew that it was from the loss of faith in an old friend. It just caused him rub his scar even harder. He was distracted by the feeling of being watched again.

"Does it help?" came the familiar voice.

Opening his eyes he looked up. "Sometimes. So….ahh, what are you doing here so late?"

"Looking for you actually," replied Ginny.

"Aghh, not you too? I really can't do this with you, not now." Harry groaned, pulling a hand over his eyes.

Ginny laughed, "What are you talking about? You've been gone since dinner, Hermione has us searching the castle for you. What did you think I meant?"

"Oh, sorry," Harry said, clearly relieved, "I thought you wanted to know about Quidditch. My head is killing me, and all those people just kept asking. I needed some quiet. Probably should have told one of you though."

"Yeah well, it's not that I wouldn't want to know, but I can wait. And Hermione is pretty upset because we couldn't find you, and we don't have those mirrors yet, but she'll be fine. You look like you've got just a bit more going on than Quidditch. Is everything alright?" Ginny asked as she shuffled through some of the titles that Harry had scattered on the desk. "Pretty heavy reading here Harry."

He had propped his chin on his hand now and watched as she spoke and rifled through his studies. "I just have a lot on my mind I guess. With all the extra lessons and DA, and then we haven't heard any news about Voldemort. I know he's up to something, and it will probably blind side us as usual. And then the Occlumency isn't working, it's just….aghh, it doesn't matter. We should probably be getting back. Sorry about that," he said as he started returning the books.

"Sorry for what? I know you must be frustrated, but there's nothing you can do now. At least nothing you'll find in Dissecting The Mind: A Guide To Obliviation." she laughed. "You have to relax. I know what you need. Come on."

Twenty minutes later they were sitting in the common room with Ron, Neville, and Hermione after a successful chocolate raid on the kitchens. Dean, Seamus, and even Katie joined them near the fire as they shared the spoils. Harry listened to the light conversation and laughing as Ginny rubbed slow circles on his back. They were so close to him right now, and still so distant. Staring into the fire he felt a small twinge in his scar, but ignored it. His head may hurt, but he could hold out for now, and try to hold onto his friends.


	19. Halloween

Author's Note: I'd like to start off with a quick apology, the title of the last chapter may have lead you to believe that there would be a lot more action on the pitch than I actually provided, so sorry if I disappointed anyone. There weren't any complaints though, so I guess it was ok. I'd like to thank everyone who's kept up with this story, despite the long wait between updates. And a special thanks to White Merlin, Laura, r/hrfan, alen, moodyboy66 (that would be telling wouldn't it), Ms. Ray (I appreciate your faithful reviewsand unending advice), and Dark Elf (review of Lose Yourself) for your reviews, you really help me with your questions and encouragement, and give me the focus to better define this story. It's a little late in the story now, and the way I write may not be conducive to this type of relationship, but I may be interested in someone to beta read this story. If you're interested give me a shout, and we'll see if it will work.

Enjoy

Jeremy

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Harry Potter or any characters or places in this story, they belong to JK Rowling. I am making no money from this story.

Chapter 19 Halloween

The wind whistled through the stone halls of Hogwarts bringing with it a mid-autumn chill and the sweet smell of wet leaves that lingered in the entrance hall. Harry was sitting with Ron, Hermione, and Neville in a corner of the common room. The mirrors they had ordered had been delivered from Dervish and Banges that morning and they were in the process of applying the charms. It wasn't a difficult task, but Hermione insisted on making sure it was done right.

"So you're not even going to bother asking anyone?" Ron said to Harry.

Ron had been hounding him for nearly two weeks now, and showed no signs of relenting. For his part, Harry had taken the badgering with a quiet resignation. He wasn't concerned with a dance when there were so many other important things happening, but it had become somewhat of a joke between them now, and it gave him the chance to relax. Ron did insist that Harry had to go, even if he didn't have a date, claiming that he needed moral support.

"Would you leave him alone and focus for a minute," Hermione said semi-seriously. "Honestly Ron, he's a big boy."

"Besides," added Neville, "if he doesn't think he can find a date…."

"Hey!" exclaimed Harry, "I didn't say I couldn't find a date." The fact that Hermione and Neville had joined in on the rousing just made it all the more fun for everyone. They shared a smile before getting back to work.

Harry had purchased five small mirrors from the shop, thinking it would be a good idea to give one to Ginny, Neville, and Luna as well as Ron and Hermione. After all, the others had risked their safety last year to help him, and they might now find themselves in danger after going up against the Death Eaters. And they were all agreed that it was a good idea to have the mirrors, the sooner the better.

Although the school had swung into a steady routine, there was a growing anxiety around the school, that had little to do with the impending ball. Harry seemed to be the only one who could put the thought to words; and though he kept the words to himself, it felt like being watched. He was hoping that it was nothing more than a passing feeling. And for the most part it was. His friends dismissed the sensation nearly as soon as they felt it. But it was such an oppressing notion that it made him think something was wrong.

Still everyone was kept on their toes, between schoolwork and preparations for the Halloween Feast, there wasn't much time to worry about phantom feelings. Harry too felt the pinch of pressure, most of which was self inflicted. He continued his extra curricular studies and training. He didn't know how Hermione kept studying at the pace she did, considering how many more classes she was taking. Still, his class work had been far better for the extra work, and while he wasn't nearly prepared to face Voldemort, he was more than ready for most anyone else. Quidditch and the DA were also taking up a lot of his time, though he left most of the strategy to Ron, he still had to help run the practices, and the DA was entirely his show. Hermione would help with the research, but it was up to him to decide what to teach, and who would teach it, and when they would all meet.

Harry's Occlumency lessons had finally turned to a practical format, where Professor Dumbledore would actually attempt to access Harry's thoughts. Still the learning process was too slow for Harry, who felt he should have shown some results by now. Even Snape's method of teaching almost seemed preferable, almost. At least there would have been an excuse if he didn't succeed. But there was too much riding on this for Harry to fail. He could have dealt with the pain, if only he could make some headway. He didn't have much choice at any rate, he needed to learn how to do this, so in the end it was probably worth learning to do right. He would just have to take his time, something that was speeding along despite him.

All to soon, Halloween dawned gray and foggy. It was a Thursday morning and classes were scheduled as usual despite that nights events. The Great Hall was decorated with giant pumpkins and swarms of bats, and much to Ron's dismay giant spider webs had been spun in every corner. The excitement of the dance had now taken over every second of the day, and most classes were spent doing little class work, and a lot of chatting. Snape and McGonagall were the only two Professors to manage to get their classes to run smoothly.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione finished that afternoon with Transfiguration. McGonagall was at her wits end by the time they entered the classroom. By now though, the older students knew not to mess about in her classroom and it was all business that afternoon. They were dismissed promptly at four o'clock with more homework than their other classes combined for that day, and nobody complained. They were all too excited about the Feast.

The Gryffindor common room was a flurry of fizzing whizbees and laughter when the sixth years returned from class. It was as if the party had already started. Most of the girls disappeared quickly though, in order to get ready for the dance. Most of the students had decided to don their dress robes even though it was only a semi-formal event. After all, it wasn't often that you got to dress up when you attended Hogwarts.

Harry and Ron sat at a table to the side of the fire for a game of chess before they went to get ready. After their third game, his third loss, Harry picked up a feeling from his friend. Ron seemed to be getting a little nervous about his date with Hermione, a fact that Harry was quick to take advantage of.

"So you're sure you're ok going through with this?" Harry asked as Ron prodded one of his pawns forward.

Ron looked at him incredulously, "What do you mean? Of course I am. I asked her didn't I?"

Harry continued innocently, "Well yeah, I mean it's just a big step isn't it? It'll be trips to Madame Puddifoot's next, and then who knows what."

"But, but that's just silly. Hermione's not into that stuff. And besides what's wrong with that?" Ron questioned as Harry's knight smashed one of Ron's bishops.

"I didn't say there was anything wrong with it. I was just checking to see if you knew what you were getting into." he said, smiling slyly.

Ron looked very confused as he thought about his next move. He told his queen to move and she did under protest, but Ron wasn't really paying attention. Until he heard the words that he would never get used to from his best friend, "Check-mate!"

"Wha? How did you….that was a dirty trick Harry. I can't believe you would stoop so low." Ron exclaimed indignantly.

"I know, I know, but it's probably the only way I can beat you, and I was long overdue for a win. Besides, it's not like I was serious. I'm sure you'll be fine, and Hermione really isn't like that, she's more likely to drag you to the library than Madame Puddifoot's, and she's going to do that anyway." They both chuckled at that thought.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I don't know what I'm worrying for. Now if we could just find someone for you to go with. It's not too late you know. I bet if we asked around…." Ron was saying as he got up.

"Oh no you don't there, Cupid," Harry said, pushing his friend towards their room, "you need to give up on this idea, and it's time to get ready now anyway. You better shower unless you want her to smell you like that when you're dancing." With that Harry pushed past Ron, thinking this was entirely too easy, and ran up the stairs.

"I don't smell that bad, do I," Ron called up, as he lifted his shirt to sniff it. "Hey!" he yelled, realizing Harry was just messing with him, and ran after him.

More than an hour later, people were beginning to re-appear in the common room to meet up with their friends. Since it wasn't a formal event, nobody felt pressured to show up at the doors at exactly seven o'clock. Ron was waiting to meet Hermione though, so Harry decided to head downstairs with Dean and Neville, who were both meeting people from other houses. By the time they arrived, the doors to the Great Hall were already open, and students were filing in through the doors. Harry quickly found a seat, and waited for his friends to show up. After a few minutes, he went to the bar and ordered a few butterbeers and returned to his table to find Hermione and Ron waiting. He passed over their drinks and smiled at the look of awe on Ron's face.

"You look really nice Hermione." he said, and indeed she did, in dark shimmering silver robes. She had tied her hair up as well, and looked pleased with the complement.

"Thanks Harry, you too. So did you order dinner yet, or were you waiting for us?" she responded.

"Just waiting I guess. I figured we could all sit down together first. Who else is sitting with us anyway?" Harry asked.

Ron shook his head slightly, and looked at Harry as if seeing him for the first time since they had walked in. He was wearing new midnight blue robes, that George and Fred had given him last year, as a gift. Ron didn't know why, so he suspected that the robes would explode or disappear or something else as a prank., so he had subjected them to several jinx tests before he even tried them on. "Oh, I told Ginny she could sit with us if she wanted, but she wouldn't tell me who she was coming with, said something about me scaring the poor bugger away. Oh yeah, and Katie too, but I don't think she's bringing anyone. Hey Harry…."

"Give it up Ron," Harry said in an undertone. "Well anyway, I'll go get a few more drinks then, and you two have a seat, or go find the others. I'll be right back.

A short time later they were all seated and eating. The entire Hall was filled with laughter and chatter, and there was a soft music playing in the background. Ginny had shown up with Colin Creevey, who kept glancing skittishly at Ron's angry face, until she explained that they were only there as friends, and Ron stopped glowering. Katie bell had in fact shown up without a date, but had brought one of the other girls from her dorm named Justine. At around eight thirty all the lights in the Great Hall were extinguished, even the candles on the tables. A low rumbling started to flow through the room. Several students screamed, but a moment later the lights flashed back on as the band began to play, to the applause of the crowd.

Students and teachers mingled their way onto the dance floor, and to Harry's amazement, Ron asked Hermione if she would like to dance. He half expected her to have to drag him onto the floor, but Ron surprised him. Harry himself spent his time bouncing between the dance floor and the bar. It was a lot easier to do without any pressure. Of course the fact that Katie and Justine had pulled him out there at first helped. The evening was fun, and went much as expected. Hermione and Ron had a small argument over something foolish, and promptly made up while slow-dancing. Malfoy passed by their table, glaring dangerously and made a comment about Harry not being able to get a date, and then tripped over his own robes. Snape naturally rushed out of the corner he was skulking in, to blame Harry.

He danced with Parvati, and apologized for the last ball, where he had been a poor date. He also shared a dance with Ginny, while Katie stole Colin. He felt very comfortable swaying with Ginny, and neither of them could stop smiling. Even when Charlie Weasley jokingly told them to put a little space between them, as he floated by with Professor McGonagall. Harry jumped around on the dance floor with his friends until eleven o'clock when Professor Dumbledore thanked them all for coming and wished them a Happy Halloween and a goodnight.

He walked with his arms linked with Katie and Justine back to the common room with the other Gryffindors. It had been a long day and everyone was tired out. Harry climbed the stairs to his dorm room, leaving Ron with Hermione to say goodnight. After washing up he was in bed and going to sleep well before his friend returned to their room. He traced his fingers along his scar as he thought contentedly about what had turned out to be a good day.

He continued walking down the stone corridor. This dream had become all to familiar. He tried to wake up, but he couldn't push the feeling out of his head. Something was different. He heard footsteps behind him, and turned to look, but there was nothing, just the same dim corridor he had just walked through. He started walking faster, but he couldn't escape it. He could feel something, or someone behind him. This hallway, he knew it lead to the Department of Mysteries, but it should have ended by now. It was growing longer, he could not get to the end, and then he saw them. Faint, almost glowing, just beyond the edge of the light. There were eyes, all watching him intensely. He turned to run, and found the end of the hall was not so far away. He felt his chest tightening, knowing that whatever was behind him was getting closer. The lit torch hanging just at the end gave him enough light to see the doorway. If he could just get through he would be fine. Running full tilt he slammed into it and grasped for the handle. He knew they were watching him and any second he would be grabbed. With a twist, he fell through the door and slammed it shut.

Breathing heavily he doubled over, resting his hands on his knees. Harry closed his eyes and kept repeating to himself, 'It's only a dream, it's only a dream.' He stood up and turned expecting to see the death chamber, or one of the many other rooms within the Department, he had visited them all here, in his nightmares. But this was no place he had visited before. This wasn't even a room. Harry found himself in a forest on a poorly lit path through the undergrowth. Everything else was dark, but he could sense an urgency that was not his own, could taste it in the air. Slightly confused, he started up the path. He couldn't stop himself, but he knew which way he must go. His pace quickened as he heard something struggling in the thicket ahead. He could feel the excitement and adrenaline as he got closer. Harry could hear his prey, desperately trying to flee, cursing as it stumbled on a stone.

It was a human! He couldn't believe it, he was chasing someone, intent on killing them. The thought gave him the control he needed to stop. He forced himself to look at his surroundings, and slowly he turned his eyes on himself. The dark robes, and the long white, bony fingers of his hands. He panicked, realizing where, or rather who he was. And in that moment the high pitched voice broke through, regaining control of his own body. "Well well Mr. Potter, I am so pleased that you have decided to join my little…._hunting party_." Harry could feel Voldemort sneer as he said the words.

But why was he seeing this, was it another trap, or was it real. It was certainly not the same as his vision of Sirius, but it was far more intense than the dream of Mr. Weasley being attacked. Harry couldn't stop to worry about that now, he needed to use occlumency, shut his mind to the Dark Lord. He tried to stop feeling emotion, and concentrate on closing his mind, but there were too many sensations, like the smell of fear that Voldemort was relishing at the moment. He wanted to get out of here, but the Dark Lord seemed to have other plans.

Refocusing his energy he strode off again at a quick pace. He had a renewed vigor now, complete control, knowing that his plans tonight would produce extra benefits. The crackle of breaking twigs revealed his victim had not gone far. Voldemort was on the man in a heartbeat, all the while as Harry struggled to get out.

He blocked the feeble curse that the cowering form sent at him, and seized the man by the wrist, forcing him to drop his wand. Instantly he blasted his victim with the Cruciatus Curse, sending him to the ground, screaming in pain.

A minute passed before he released the curse. He circled the man for a moment, rolling his wand between his fingers. He laughed hideously as he stood over the broken body that was trembling in agony. "You know, this would have been quite unnecessary, had you only come when I called for you. Now you will pay dearly for your insolence, or perhaps it was cowardice." He grabbed the man by the arm, dragging him to his feet, revealing the face of Igor Karkaroff, frightened and bleeding. Inwardly Voldemort whispered, "Now pay close attention Harry, I wouldn't want you to miss any of this," and then he pressed his thumb into the dark mark on Karkaroff's forearm.

Distantly, Harry could feel the pain in his own scar, but it was a remote sensation, like he wasn't really there. Only a few moments passed before Death Eaters started apparating into the surrounding forest, and took there places among the circle. Soon all but a few places were occupied, which Voldemort seemed to expect.

"Welcome my loyal Death Eaters. I have called you together this night to settle some unfinished business." They all bowed low at their master's words, like they were being granted some honor by being there.

It was a sight that made Harry sick, and unable to focus. He new what would be coming soon, and he didn't want to witness the torture, or experience first hand the Dark Lord's amusement. He tried to shake himself out of this world, anything to wake up back in his own bed, but nothing was working, as Voldemort continued.

"You who are called here tonight, bonded to me in eternal loyalty, I ask you to bear witness to the justice I seek from this….this traitor, and know that such is the fate of all those who oppose me, or dare to stand in my way." Turning, he threw Karkaroff to the ground. "All that you have ever been, has been granted by me. You have knowingly defied me, turned away from the power that I have bestowed."

Karkaroff sniveled as he tried to crawl to his knees, "Please my Lord….I beg your forgiveness."

But Voldemort was not willing to listen. "Silence!" he hissed, and cast the Cruciatus Curse again. He held it in place for a few minutes this time, until it seemed that Karkaroff would pass out from the pain.

Harry could feel the agony more distinctly this time, much to Voldemort's enjoyment.

"Now I will take back all that I have given, take it back from your flesh." With that Voldemort swished his wand and Harry watched through the eyes of his enemy as Karkaroff's fingers were cut off. He screamed horribly along with the outburst from Karkaroff, and fought harder as the curse was cast again at the man's feet. Finally, terrified, he had seen enough and managed to break free.

He woke kicking and swinging wildly in his own bed as Ron was startled from slumber and ran to his side. Harry recognized where he was immediately, and the pain overtook him at once. He rolled off of his bed pressing his hand against his scar. It felt like it was splitting his head open from the inside. Feebly Harry tried to curl himself up on the floor while Ron was yelling at him, trying to get a response as he shook him. "Voldemort," he managed to gasp. Another burst of indescribable pain hit him, and knowing that Karkaroff was dead, Harry passed out.


	20. Pieces

Author's Note: Thanks to Elizabeth Teresa, White Merlin, and jbfritz for the reviews, they mean a lot to me. Sorry about the update time, not that I'm usually that quick, but this time I at least have a good excuse. The file I had this chapter was saved in got a bug. Had to retype or most of it. Also I know I said that I would explain who or what is watching them in this chapter, but I had to change it to fit the plot better. It's coming, just not yet (I know, very subtle foreshadowing right?). Also, what I consider to be the main line of this story will start being revealed after the next chapter. Hope this is enough to keep you all reading, feel free to let me know what you think.

Jeremy

Chapter 20 Pieces

It was beautiful, and bright, and it hurt! The light was blindingly painful. Harry who had been trying to open his eyes was now scrunching them closed and trying to pull the sheets over his head. He felt like he had been hit by a hippogriff, and that was before the noise started.

"Hey he's waking up! Harry are you okay? Madam Pomfrey, Madam Pomfrey, he's awake! Harry mate, was it another vision, is everyone ok?"

"Ughhh Everyone is fine Ron, but shut the hell up. What happened, and can we please turn down the lights?" Harry replied clapping his hands over his ears.

At that moment Madam Pomfrey came over and began to check Harry over. "Well Mr. Potter, back again. We can not turn down the lights until I've checked you over. Here, take this," she said as she handed him a vial of purple liquid. "I don't doubt that the Headmaster would like to speak with you when I'm finished. Ms. Granger be a dear and run along to fetch him please. Well, there doesn't seem to be any permanent damage. How are you feeling then?"

"I feel fine I guess." He replied. He looked down at his own hands to be sure that they were his, and weren't the long pale fingers of his enemy, whose hands he had seen as his own, torturing another human.

Ron snorted to himself, "I really doubt that."

Looking around Harry noticed that Ginny, Luna, and Neville were also in the room with Ron, who Harry gave a reproachful look. "Anyway, what day is it, how long have I been out?"

"It is Sunday, you've only been asleep for two days. As for what happened, we were hoping you could tell us. You told Mr. Weasley here that it was He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Is this true?" the healer asked.

A memory of his dream, and then the vision returned to Harry. He thought he would pass out again, the scent of fear, the blood splattering from the severed fingers, and the screams, oh those horrible screams of pain. He pulled himself into a sitting position and reached for his glasses. "Yes, I remember now, I saw Volde.…" a sharp hiss from the healer cut off his statement. "Sorry," he said regretfully, "yes it was him, but perhaps its best if I just tell Professor Dumbledore."

"Very well then, I see no reason why you cant go back to your dorm as soon as you've spoken with the Headmaster. He should be along in a moment." With that Madam Pomfrey returned to her desk at the end of the ward.

"So, how do you really feel mate? You look like hell."

"Ron!" Ginny scolded.

"Thanks a lot. I honestly don't know. I think I'm alright, just the thought of," Harry shuddered, closing his eyes. "I mean, I was there with him, I was him. There was just this intense hate and desire to hurt."

"What specifically do you remember Harry, if you do not mind my asking?" Professor Dumbledore asked from behind the others. He had just entered the hospital ward with Hermione as well as Professor McGonagall, Charlie Weasley, and Snape.

Harry looked briefly into the eyes of the new arrivals, and then his friends. Madam Pomfrey had rejoined the group to hear the explanation of what had happened. "It was Voldemort sir. He's killed Igor Karkaroff.

Snape and Dumbledore exchanged a look. "And how is it that you know this Harry?" The Headmaster asked.

"It started as a dream at first, one I've had before about the corridor that leads to the Department of Mysteries, but something felt different. Before I could stop it the dream changed, and I was being chased through the corridor. It's never happened like that. When I went through the door, I wasn't in any of the rooms, I was in a forest." Harry went on to describe his experience, and how Voldemort had known he was there. He told them the different things the Dark Lord had said, and done. "I tried to use occlumency sir, I tried as hard as ever, it just wouldn't work." Hermione and Neville shared the same very scared look, while Ron and Charlie were outraged. Surprisingly, Ginny seemed to be as impassive as Dumbledore and Snape. Harry wondered at that for a moment before he continued, "Anyway, when he started to, you know…. I somehow managed to pull free. That is when I woke up. I knew where I was, but then I could feel it when he finished and killed Karkaroff. He used the Killing Curse Professor. I've never felt that kind of pain before, even when he's cast the Cruciatus Curse on me it wasn't as bad. After that I passed out. But I'm pretty sure it was a real vision, not like last year with Sirius. I was looking through his eyes, and I….I could feel his body, and his thoughts, it was sickening."

"I believe the correct term is possession Harry, though you could not control it. It is a skill that takes years of practice to use it correctly. However it is also a very dark magic, and one that I recommend you not try to pursue. I am also sure that this was a legitimate encounter, and not meant to lure you in any manner. My sources," he looked down ever so briefly and in the direction of Professor Snape, "have indeed confirmed that Igor Karkaroff had been caught by Lord Voldemort, and was tortured and killed. I had suspected that this was the cause of your sudden illness. I thank you for relaying this information to me none the less. Now if there is nothing else, I suggest that you return to your Dormitory and enjoy the remainder of your weekend. Remember Harry, if you need to speak with me, my office is always open to you."

"Thank you sir. If I think of anything else I will come and tell you." Harry replied.

"Very well then," and with that Professor Dumbledore bowed and left the hospital wing, followed by Professor McGonagall, and Snape, who gave a curt nod before spinning on his heal and following the headmaster.

"Well that was strange," Ron commented.

"You heard the Headmaster Mr. Potter. Now get dressed and off you go. If you have any more pain come back and see me immediately." Madam Pomfrey said as she ushered the other students away from his bed and pulled the curtain.

"You sure you're alright Harry? Do you need help?" Charlie called from the other side of the curtain. "Mum's gonna have a fit when she hears about this."

"No, I'm fine or I will be. If you talk to her tell her not to worry. Everything worked out, and I'm no worse for wear." Harry replied.

"You have met my Mother right?" Charlie answered. "Trying to tell her that will only land me in hot water. Just take care of yourself alright?"

"Okay, sure thing Charlie, err….Professor." Harry called as he heard Charlie start walking away.

Hermione and Ron continued to discuss what Harry had just revealed to them, while Ginny's intent was a bit more playful, "Are you sure you don't need any help there Harry?" she said with one last peek around the curtain.

"Ginny!" both he and Ron yelled. Harry could feel himself blushing and checked to make sure the curtain was closed before he started to get changed.

"I was only teasing, relax Ron, it's only Harry." She chortled.

"Hey what's that supposed to mean?" Harry called out indignantly.

"Nothing Harry, just that Ron can trust you. Now hurry up so we can get out of here." She replied.

Harry was trying to hurry, but he felt very stiff and sore. It was worse than any other time he had experienced a vision, or whatever it was. "_I probably could use her help,_" He thought morosely to himself. He needed a hot bath to relax, and hopefully he wouldn't sink in and drown. Realizing that he was trying to avoid thinking about what he'd seen he concentrated on getting dressed. He knew his friends would keep him talking about it until he felt better, so it was probably best to get it over with. He finished pulling on his shirt and leaned heavily on the bed.

"Alright, let's get going. Just take it slow, I feel like I'm made of old tree limbs." Harry said to his friends as he pulled the curtain open.

He actually did look much worse now that he was standing. They began a long slow walk back to the Gryffindor Tower, stopping occasionally for Harry to stretch, or lean on the wall.

Luna turned off at the fourth floor to head back to her own common room. "Hope you feel better Harry. See you all later." she said before skipping off down the hall.

Harry had half expected some nonsense advice from her, but he wasn't about to complain. They continued on their journey.

"Well dear, you look much better than when they carried you out the other night." The portrait of the Fat Lady said as they climbed the last step.

"Thanks," Harry responded with a tired smile, "And you look as enchanting as ever. Fainting Fancies."

Rolling her eyes, the portrait opened, "Very well then, in you go."

Harry immediately claimed a sofa in front of the fireplace and stretched out. The others all gathered around in chairs to discuss what had happened and what it meant.

Yawning, Harry pulled a hand over his forehead and gently rubbed his scar, "So what do you want to know? Hermione, you must be ready to burst over there, how did you manage to hold your questions in this long?"

They all exchanged a glance that Harry couldn't see. "Well Harry, umm," Hermione started, "How are you feeling?"

"I feel alright I guess, a little sore, but otherwise I'm fine. So stop asking and tell me what you think about all this." He said with a dry smile.

"Honestly mate, as long as you're okay that's all that matters. You scared the hell out of me the other night." Ron supplied. "As far as Karkaroff, it's no big waste really, I mean I didn't really like him anyway."

"Ron!" Hermione hissed. "That doesn't mean he deserved to die. Not to mention the fact that your best friend had to watch it. Honestly, would you think before you speak."

"Hey, I said I was worried about Harry. Next to him I really don't care about some filthy Death Eater. As far as I concerned Voldemort did us a favor. In fact it would be rather nice if he could off a few more of them for us, save us the trouble." Ron replied heatedly.

"Oh would the both of you stop," Ginny interjected, "Harry probably doesn't need to listen to you two bickering right now."

"Sorry." they both said, and looked away.

"What I want to know, is how did you break the connection?" Neville spoke timidly.

"I was wondering that myself Neville," Hermione added, "I mean, you said that the Occlumency didn't work, right Harry? So if Voldemort were in control, then it isn't likely that he would just let go is it? So what happened?"

Harry considered the question for a minute. "I'm not sure exactly. I mean, I know what didn't happen, so that's probably the place to start."

"Okay then," Ron questioned, "tell us what didn't happen then."

"Well, I know it wasn't the pain in my scar that broke the connection, because I could barely feel it while I was with him. Which is strange, because when he," he looked at Neville quickly, realizing he hadn't told him the whole story, and then feeling guilty, remembering that he was the other person that the prophecy could have pointed to, "When he possessed me at the Ministry last year, my scar exploded with pain, but that was in my own body."

Hermione interrupted, "It may be Harry that you are more affected by the connection because you bear the scar. It would make sense then, that Voldemort would have more control over the relationship."

Harry looked up at her sharply, "We do not have a relationship! He murdered my parents, and keeps trying to kill me. He's a coward, and the only thing we have in common is that I am going to kill him one of these days!"

"Okay Harry, relax! She wasn't trying to make any association between you. We're your friends remember," Ron came to her defense.

Harry shook his head, "I know, I'm sorry. I just feel so dirty after being there, I don't want to be a part of him, or…. I'm sorry, please keep going."

"It's okay Harry we understand how you feel." Hermione soothed.

"No you don't, and you shouldn't. I don't want any of you to have to know what this like, ever," he whispered determinedly. He didn't know why her words were getting to him or why he was getting upset about this. It wasn't her fault, and they were only trying to help.

"Well I already do, and Neville has a pretty good idea too I think," Ginny piped in. "And even if it's not the same, we've all seen what it does to you, and we can relate to that. You can't shelter us from what's going on."

Harry did not say anything, but knew that was exactly what he wanted to do, hide them all away until this was over. "I don't know why I'm so edgy. I know you're trying to help. I just can't get over this thought that I'm going to end up losing all of you. Forget about it." he groaned out.

Hermione tried to pick up where she had left off, "Yes well anyway, so he has more control, and because the scar is on your head the pain is more acute when the conflict is within you. That's why you didn't experience as much pain when you were with him. There must be something that gives you power or control though, because you continue to escape."

Harry nodded his head. "That sounds right. Nobody woke me up either, so that couldn't have been it. I also know it wasn't the occlumency that broke us apart, he's just way to good, and let's face it, I'm not exactly an all star when it comes to that subject. And that wasn't what stopped him last time either. I think you're right though, Dumbledore said something about it after that night at the Ministry. But this time was definitely different from that…." Harry trailed off, thinking about how he had been so willing to join Sirius and his parents that night, anything to stop the pain, the loss. He closed his eyes, thinking about how much more he could lose, and hating Voldemort. If the Dark Lord went after Karkaroff to settle unfinished business, then he could be pretty sure that he was next on the list. It was only a matter of time before Harry drew Voldemort's full attention again. It was unlikely that his friends would be left out as a courtesy either.

Seeing Harry turn to dark thoughts didn't put any of his friends at ease. The topic died away, turning instead to silence. Far from taking Dumbledore's advice and enjoying the rest of their weekend, they all sat around thinking things over. With the exceptions of a few shared words, the mood had dropped from two days before.

Dinner was quiet for the group, despite the noise from the surrounding tables of students still excited from the Halloween party a few nights before. Harry ate in silence, carefully regarding each of his friends, and the turns his life was taking. In turn, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all appeared to be doing the same. Neville was actually sitting further down the table with Seamus, Dean, Lavender and Parvati looking relaxed.

The following week held much of the same quiet consideration. Even Quidditch practice and Harry's daily morning routine were eerily peaceful and unexciting. The faculty had taken notice and were watching closely. On Wednesday morning though they were all jolted from the calm, thoughtful atmosphere that they had fallen into. Harry was sitting next to Seamus, across from Hermione and Ron. As he fixed himself a bowl of porridge the owl post arrived. A large black horned owl landed in front of him holding a small white box wrapped in twine.

Harry looked over at his friends questioningly, before Seamus started in. "Hey, what ya got there Harry, a secret admirer maybe?" he asked.

He took the box from the owl, which immediately took flight. Gently, Harry untied the package. "Dunno, I wasn't expecting anything." Harry replied as he began lifting the lid.

"Careful Harry," Hermione whispered, "It could be dangerous."

Her warning was too late though as Harry had opened it fully and looked inside. He was stunned to silence, as Seamus and Ron each tried to peer around him to see what it contained. Both jumped back and Seamus couldn't stop himself from being sick. Hermione stood up at that moment and called to the head table for Professor McGonagall.

Harry, though still shocked had the good sense to close the lid before anyone else could see what was inside. His head snapped up as the stern voice of the Deputy Headmistress arrived. "What is the meaning of this outburst?"

"Professor, it's…. I need to take this to the Headmaster immediately." Harry tried to whisper, but he could feel all the attention he was attracting from the other students in the Great Hall. "It's from Vold…. Professor Dumbledore needs to see this," his voice becoming more strained and urgent, as he tried not to send everyone into a panic.

"Potter…. all right, you will find him in his office. Please go quickly. Mr. Weasley, would you kindly escort Mr. Finnigan to the hospital ward?" she said quickly.

Ron nodded his agreement and began walking alongside his very green looking housemate. That left Hermione to go along with Harry, not that he was waiting to see if she was following. Harry bolted out of his seat and pushed past Ron and Seamus, who looked even worse as Harry passed him, holding the box in front of him.

Moments later they arrived at the Headmaster's Office. Harry spoke the password and climbed onto the revolving staircase as soon as the gargoyles were out of the way. Hermione was out of breath but quickly followed him. They didn't need to knock as the door opened as they reached the top of the stairs. Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk with a very inquisitive stare on his face.

"Harry? I take it as that is not a box of chocolates you have in your hands." the aging wizard inquired.

"Sir, this just arrived with the post. Voldemort sent it." Harry said as he placed the small box on the desk. He began to explain further, "It's fingers sir, Karkaroff's fingers. There's a note, but I didn't want to pull it out in the Great Hall for obvious reasons." Harry continued while Dumbledore examined the package and began to slide the lid open. "Also, I wasn't sure, but it may be cursed."

A few moments of silence followed before Dumbledore pulled the note from the box and unfolded it. Immediately a cloud of gray and green smoke burst from the paper and rose up a few feet above the desk. It swirled for a moment before it formed into a symbol that was all to common on the front page of the papers, it was the Dark Mark. A sickly green skull floating in the air with a snake slithering out of it's mouth. With a wave of his wand the spell dissipated and the smoke cleared. He glanced at Harry and Hermione shortly before he began reading the note. He then handed it to Harry.

"It would seem that Tom is attempting to intimidate you Harry. The message and more importantly the fingers appear to be a warning." Dumbledore stated plainly.

Harry looked down from the Headmaster to the letter in his hand.

_"Dear Harry,_

Hope you enjoyed the show, sorry you couldn't stick around for the end. One down, One to go. Be seeing you around.

Lord Voldemort"

Harry was speechless, at which point the Headmaster spoke, "He is using scare tactics, but also plainly telling you that he intends to come for you. I will of course be assigning members of the Order for extra protection around the school. I cannot tell you not to worry Harry. We are at war, and there is little reassurance I can offer to you, given my track record. However, if I may offer this advice, you cannot allow this threat, or any other to rule your life. Continue to live as you have and leave this for me to worry about." Raising his hand to halt Harry's response he continued, "Remain vigilant, but do not allow him to run your life through fear. Now please, I believe you have a class to attend, and I must begin on the arrangements immediately. If you have questions, we can talk more this evening at your lesson." Standing up, Dumbledore walked them both to the door and gave a reassuring pat on the back as they began their descent.

They met a shaky looking Ron outside of the Charms classroom. "What did he have to say?" Ron asked.

Harry was still contemplating the words of the letter, so with a look to her dark-haired brooding friend, Hermione answered. "He didn't tell us much really, or nothing we couldn't have guessed anyway. There was more than…. than just the fingers though. It was from Voldemort, and he sent a note." She continued to explain as they found seats at the back of the classroom.

Harry began to realize where they were, and the stares that followed him to his seat. Even his own classmates seemed intrigued or frightened by the unknown contents of the box. They all knew about Harry's ordeals, and were for the most part sympathetic. But the gossip they heard was rarely the whole story, and they were always thirsty for more. So the whispering and fleeting looks carried on. He couldn't help but feel a small amount of contempt for his peers though. These were people who knew him, and the kind of person he was. He would never fully get used to their callous interest.

"So it was a threat?" Ron uttered as Harry picked up the thread of the conversation. He continued in a hushed voice, "And it sent off the Dark Mark? Whoa! Imagine if you had opened that in the Great Hall. It would have started a panic."

"That was the idea." Harry muttered darkly.

They continued to discuss all of the intricacies of this stroke throughout the lesson. Charms was the perfect place to talk because of the constant action. Still the timid glances didn't stop, and by the end of the period Harry was loosing his patience. He opted to skip lunch instead of facing more of the same treatment. He remained in the common room while his two best friend went to eat, after he promised them that he wouldn't go anywhere without letting them know. They were becoming all too familiar with this moody and withdrawn Harry, and knew he needed some time to cool off. Still it was better than the previous year, when he would lose his temper and direct it at them. Nowadays he usually took some time to collect himself and was generally able to talk to them afterwards. For his part Harry was done thinking about the incident. He used the time to start on his assignments instead, figuring it would be better to focus on something he could control.

The remainder of the week held more of the same treatment for him and he was glad to get to the end when he wouldn't have to face anyone. The added benefit was the Quidditch practice he would have. Saturday practices lasted twice as long as on the weekdays, and allotted him an extra spot of peace that he needed. They were facing Ravenclaw the following week and wanted to be sure that the team was ready. Not that they would really need to be. By all accounts the Ravenclaw team wasn't very strong this year, owing to several open positions left by graduated students, and their Captain was lacking as a leader. Rodger Davies had left the previous year, and Zack Smith had been named as Captain. As it was his second year on the team he didn't have the experience or trust of his teammates, and he was a bit overbearing as well.

As the week of the match dwindled down students were actually becoming excited about something that would take their minds off of the war thundering outside their secluded existence. Reports of attacks had become almost commonplace in the Daily Prophet. Apparently even the muggles had begun taking notice. Not that they knew what was happening, only that there was something suspicious going on. The Ministry was having a difficult time keeping up with the Dark Lord's terror campaign.

But at the school a sense of normalcy was setting in. With the impending match came a shift in focus from Harry to the game. There was still a lot of curious speculation aimed at him, but with a lack of details with which to focus on the rumor mill was grinding to a halt. Harry had a word with Seamus to explain the package and ask that he not tell anyone the details. The young Irish wizard was quite agreeable to keeping the secret. With the gossip dieing out Harry could even allow himself to loosen up a bit. He was certain that he had a good team that could go far. After he and Ron had talked with the rest of the team it was decided that they would add Ginny and Natalie MacDonald to the roster as chasers, and keep Seamus on reserve.

The team had come together well under Harry's calm leadership and Ron's strategy and understanding of the game. They practiced diligently, and while they were far from flawless, they were coming together well. Katie Bell was an immense strength, lending her experience to guide the new chasers.

The final day before the match was filled with expectation. Even the staff was anticipating the joy of a simple game. Harry spent his time that day trying to bolster his teams spirits, as only he and Katie seemed untouched by pre-game nerves. Even Ron was edgy, although it had more to do with being Captain than worrying about his own performance. He knew he was good now, and the doubt that had racked him the previous season was all but gone.

Malfoy had made an attempt earlier in the week at intimidating the Gryffindors, but Harry's juke towards his wand was enough to make him jump back, causing the whole team to roar with laughter. He strutted away muttering furious threats toward Harry, who simply shrugged it off.

The Saturday sun rose above the crisp fog to warm the grounds and light the blazing autumn leaves of the forest. Slowly the team began to gather in the common room before going down to breakfast. They followed Harry's cool demeanor into the hall and took their places at the table. He did all he could to get them to eat, but only Katie and Ron seemed to have any appetite. Ginny at least made a show of being composed.

Soon enough the hall was emptying out and they made their way down to the changing rooms. Once they were ready they gathered again for a pep talk. Ron simply stared at Harry expectantly. Realizing his friend wasn't prepared for this particular duty Harry stepped up. "Alright everyone?" There were a few brief nods. "Listen, we all know what we need to do. Stay focused and play our game. Don't worry about the crowd, or anything else." Sloper and Kirke were starting to look alert and ready. "This is a game of tradition, and there isn't a better tradition than that of Gryffindor's history of winning. I'm confident that we are a good team, and now it's time to go out there and prove it. Remember the teamwork and help each other out. Be brave, and there's nothing you can't do up there. Play hard and don't forget it's a game, have fun!" he yelled with a grin. "Now come on, let's get out there and show those Eagles how to soar!"

The team jumped up and let their spirits rise. The time for doubt had passed and they were eager to start. They waited at the entrance to be announced, with Ron and Harry at the rear. Ron leaned over and whispered, "Good one mate. Of course, we better win this or McGonagall's going to flip her wig for sure."

"Don't worry about it. She knows we'll do our best," Harry replied. "And I'm not about to start losing now. We can do it."

A familiar voice rang out in the stadium calling out the names of the Ravenclaw players. It was Colin Creevey's excited intonation echoing through the stands. And now, your lions for this year, Bell, Weasley, MacDonald, Kirke, Sloper, and Co-Captains Weasley and Potter; Team Gryffindor! Wild cheers erupted from the red and gold crowd, mixed with hissing from the Slytherin side. The team mounted their brooms and flew out onto the pitch. They took a few laps and landed in the middle around Madam Hooch.

Now, I want a good clean game. Captains shake hands. Harry and Ron stepped forward and each took a turn shaking Zack's hand. They returned to their positions and mounted their brooms.

On my whistle. called Madam Hooch. She opened the crate and released the bludgers and the snitch. She threw the quaffle into the air and blew the whistle to start the game.

Harry pushed off hard and took off into the air after the snitch. He had seen it zoom off in the direction of the Gryffindor posts. Quickly he circled around searching for it. It was no where to be seen though. Turning back he spared a moment to look at his teammates. They were battling back and forth for the quaffle but seemed to be holding their own. Katie had taken control and quickly scored a goal, but now both teams were trying to maintain control of the quaffle.

Harry kept looking until he found his own opposition for the match. Cho Chang was flying above the fray searching for the snitch. Harry was surprised that she wasn't tagging up on him to make sure he didn't find it first. It was a new strategy compared to the other times they had faced off. Harry set himself back to the task of finding the small golden ball. He pushed his broom around the field looking in all directions.

"Another goal from Gryffindor. What a shot by MacDonald in her first start for the lions. That puts the tally at 40 to 20 with Gryffindor in the lead," Colin called out. "No sign of the snitch yet, but it's still early in the match."

Harry watched with a smile, as Ron made a save by blocking Smith's shot. Just then one of the Ravenclaw beaters knocked a bludgers at him. Harry rolled out of the way easily, and as he righted himself he saw the fluttering gold of the snitch and he was off. He held himself low to the handle of the broom, his sudden movement causing a rush of cheering from the stands. Cho was also in pursuit, but had little chance of catching up to him. He could here Colin's frantic announcing as he closed in on his target. It dipped down, and swerved left, and Harry followed, and then he had it. Circling back to the center of the field he held the snitch tightly in his grip and raised it over his head.

"Gryffindor wins! Potter catches the snitch and Gryffindor wins 190 to 20!" Colin was yelling from the stands.

His team surrounded him as he touched down, all smiles and cheers. Ron looked delirious. Harry made a good show by shaking hands with the Ravenclaws as they left the pitch. The cheering continued in the stands as the team filed back into the changing rooms. It had been a good day, and the party that night was sure to be even better.


	21. Stranger

Author's Note: I'd like to thank Snuffles, whoever you are, for reviewing the last chapter. I really appreciate it. Yeah Gryffindor won, no big surprise there I guess. Hopeanyone reading thisenjoys this chapter, it's not one of my best, but I think you get to see some progression.

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Harry Potter or any characters or places in this story, they belong to JK Rowling. I am making no money from this story.

Chapter 21 Stranger

It was several days following their Quidditch win that the next DA meeting was being held. Harry arrived early to get in some extra practice., figuring his friends wouldn't be far behind him, and he had his mirror just in case. He brought along the charmed cd player that Hermione had given him for his birthday, thinking it might be a nice change to his training routine. The intensity that he gave to every session seemed to grow with each fresh attack. It was his way of dealing with the war that he was meant to end. That, and talking with his friends. They seemed to be doing a lot of that lately, sitting late at night, discussing each attack, the students who were affected, and what the Ministry and the Order were doing. But there was little beyond that that they could do. Harry was disgusted with his own complacency, feeling that he should be doing something, anything to try to stop all the pain being inflicted outside the castle. And the more he voiced this belief to his friends, the more concerned they became.

So Harry put on his headphones and began warming up. The Room of Requirement was darkened and had provided him with targets to practice with. It was no where close to the real thing, but it was the best he could do. There were no curses being aimed at him, no death looming over his head in here. Just paper and his own imagination. He stood in the middle of the room, encircled by his paper foes, and they would begin to advance on him. Harry would push himself to duck and turn and cast spells in rapid succession. He was improving greatly, coming to the point where he did not have to speak the spells aloud. It allowed him to move more quickly, but his spells were weaker when he did this. Quickly he cut through the targets but more always came. Harry imagined it was a circle of Death Eaters, a situation he had faced a few times before. As he went on with the music playing in his ears he slowly worked up a sweat. He was so engaged with his private battle of demons that he didn't notice the other students beginning to filter in for their meeting. They were gaping at the force of intensity he displayed. They all stayed pinned against the wall by the door in fear of interrupting. When his friends arrived and had pushed their way in Hermione noticed that Harry was wearing the headphones and didn't notice the gathering crowd all staring at him. This was something that would greatly annoy Harry and she decided to interrupt. She waited until he was facing in their general directions and shot red sparks up in the air. In a heartbeat he had his wand trained on her, but he did not follow through with any spell.

He pulled off the headphones mortified, "How long have you been here?" he said breathlessly. Then he noticed the other students gathered near the doorway. "Oh great," Harry sighed, wiping sweat from his head. "So in and we'll get started. I uhh…."

"You're were amazing Harry, how long have you been practicing like this?" asked Hannah Abbott.

"Ahh…. about an hour I guess," He replied shaking his head to clear his thoughts. "Why don't we get started. If you'll all just find a place to sit for a minute…."

"No I think she meant when did you start doing this," clarified Terry Boot. They all began to move into the room and the lights flickered to life in their brackets on the walls. The targets had all disappeared without a trace that they had ever existed.

"Oh, a few months I guess. Anyway, this is one of the things I would like you all to try. If the idea of this is to be prepared for Death Eaters, then we have to step up the training," he said as they all took seats around the room. Harry found a squishy pouf and plopped down as he continued. "You have to realize that if you're faced with an attack it's usually not just one Death Eater. And the more you fight the more of them will come after you. Your best bet is to get one or two as quickly as you can and then try to get away. What else did you notice about this set up that is relevant, uh…. Ernie?"

Ernie thought about it for a minute before venturing a guess, "They were in a circle, right?"

"That's exactly it." Harry said, and he tossed a chocolate frog to Ernie that he had pulled from his robes. "Since I can't give out points." He chortled, earning a round of chuckles. "Now the next question. Neville, what can we do about this?"

Neville wasn't timid at all about offering his thoughts. "Well, you have to keep moving, not just dodging, but get the circle to work for you."

"How so?" Harry replied, handing out another frog.

"It depends on the situation, but if you go towards one side and they cast a curse at you, dodge it. They'll be shooting spells at their own people. It should make them think twice about how they attack, and what spells they use."

Harry nodded his head, feeling very proud of Neville. "Right then. What other tactics will help you out? Cho?"

"Find the weakest part of the circle, the place with the fewest or slower attackers. That's your escape route," she said proudly, and received her frog.

Harry grinned a little, "Okay, what's the one thing you don't want to do? Let's see what Colin has to say."

"That's pretty simple," The older Creevey brother boasted. "It's just like Filch and Mrs. Norris, you don't want to get cornered. Once that happens you've had it." This elicited another burst of laughter from the group.

"Alright, alright!" Harry said as he passed out the last frog. "As funny as that may sound Colin's right. You can't get pinned into a corner or backed against a wall. That's a sure way to get caught or killed." This statement ceased all the laughter. "So this is how we are going to start. Stand up and put your wands away."

Everyone did as they were told, and as Ron stood he cleared his throat but it sounded distinctly like he said "Umbridge!", which caused a bit more giggling.

"Now I want everyone to find a partner. Quickly now, it doesn't matter who. Great! Come over here and each pair take one balloon from the box." As he said it a box appeared from nowhere filled with large round balloons. "The idea of this game is to pop other teams balloons. The trick is to keep your own balloon from getting popped. So one person holds the balloon, and the other protects them and tries to pop balloons from the other teams. The rules are; no magic, no violence as in knocking other people down or pushing them to get their balloon. Once your teams balloon bursts you are out of the game. Last team un-popped wins." Harry glanced around the room. "Everyone ready? Begin!" He yelled, and the excitement began.

The game lasted for a several minutes. Everyone was laughing and cheering at the ensuing chaos. As the teams started to filter down, it got more intense, with teams trying to put distance between their balloon and the other teams, while still trying to attack. In the end it came down to the Creeveys, Ron and Hermione, Ginny and Luna, Ernie and Justin, and Dean with Seamus. Harry called a stop to the contest to keep it from getting ugly.

"Alright everyone, good job. Keep in mind that this may be fun, but in a real situation you have other elements that you may not be prepared for. Does anyone have an example?"

Hannah Abbott spoke up, "Well, I suppose there could be objects in the way, obstacles maybe, or you could have a smaller or larger space around you."

"Yes, you're right. Anyone else?"

"Brains." said Ron from the back, earning a few chuckles as well as some puzzled looks.

"Different light or environment could be a problem I guess," added one of the younger Ravenclaws.

"That's true too. So it's important not to rely entirely on what you've practiced, and remember to stay on your toes. Those ideas both deal with your ability to move, and your senses, like sight. There is something else that you may encounter that you can't truly prepare for until you've experienced it. Any ideas?" Harry asked.

"Fear." said Ginny.

"Good answer," said Harry, "How so?"

"It's like eating vanilla ice cream, until you've tried it you can't understand how it tastes. Even if you've had other flavors before, you can't appreciate how sweet and rich it is, or why it's significant. Unless you've been in a confrontation like that, you can't be prepared for the fear," she replied.

"So…" Seamus put in, "we should try being afraid?"

"No, she's saying that you can't understand it fully unless you've experienced it. Trying to comprehend fear isn't the same as being in a situation where you are afraid." Cho surmised.

"Right." said Ginny

"Keep in mind that fear isn't always a bad thing either. It can make you sharper, and faster. It's only if you are so afraid that you freeze up that it is dangerous. Alright, I think that's it for tonight. Next meeting we will work on new spells. If you have anything you'd like to try, get it to me Hermione or Ron in advance. Goodnight everyone." With that Harry turned to open the door, only to find Charlie Weasley waiting just next to it. "Err, hello Professor."

"Hey Ron, Harry, Hermione. Interesting meeting." Charlie said, nodding to each of them in turn. "Would you like to come down to my office, I'd like to hear a bit more about Dumbledore's Army." He finished with a genuine smile.

"Sure thing, are you two coming?" Harry asked.

"Nah mate, I have to finish my Transfiguration essay, and Hermione promised to help me with it. We'll see you back in the common room."

"Alright then, lead the way." Harry gestured.

It was a short walk down to the office, one that Harry had visited many times before. "Interesting game you were playing there." Charlie said as they took seats in his office. "What exactly was the purpose, if you don't mind my asking? Care for some tea?"

Harry nodded his head in acceptance. "Uhh, well the general idea was to get them used to moving and thinking on their feet. We were talking about what could happen if someone was attacked, and how they could end up facing more than one Death Eater. They got the general idea about evading or escaping, and I guess this is a way to start training everyone for that kind of situation. How long were you watching anyway?"

"Just a few minutes at the end there. It was impressive." Charlie replied as he handed Harry a cup of tea. "So your group actually gets into strategy and battle tactics. It's a bit more than just teaching jinxes and defensive spells then?"

"Yeah, well…we do a lot of that too, but if they can't apply it then it really isn't of much use, don't you think? Anyone can learn the spells really, it's a matter of having a plan or an idea of what to do that is going to help most though." Harry speculated.

Charlie snorted a little, "How's that worked out for you in the past?"

A knowing smile crossed Harry's lips, "True, but I'm hardly a normal case. I know that luck is what's kept me alive this far, and I don't think there was really anyway I could have trained for most of the things that have happened to me. I guess this is the best way I can help them to prepare for, well in case…"

"Do you really think so, about it being luck I mean?" asked Charlie. "Let me put it to you this way, do you think any of the others could have lead your group at the ministry last year?" He paused, seeing the obvious emotion this subject triggered in Harry. "Six underage wizards break into a secure government building, and hold off a dozen highly dangerous wizards. I can see how some would think it sounds like a glorious adventure story that any young man would be proud to tell, but you are hardly a child Harry. Look past that, and you'll see something extraordinary. What you call luck everyone else sees as natural ability and talent. It was your experience and quick thinking that kept you all alive that night; because you kept your head, and you were determined. Not everyone can do that."

"Not everyone survived," Harry mumbled.

"No, not everyone, and though I'm sure you've heard it before I'll say it again, Sirius' death was not your responsibility. You took care of your friends who came with you, and that was your job."

Harry nodded solemnly.

"And maybe no one has said it, but thanks," Charlie added.

Harry looked puzzled, "Thanks for what?"

"Look, I've heard the reports, but there were a lot of things that weren't said. I've talked to Ron and Ginny a lot about what happened. From what they told me, you tried to stop them all from going with you. You kept them safe even when they didn't listen to you. Especially Ginny."

"Huh? I didn't do anything special, what are you talking about?" Harry asked in a bewildered voice.

"They told me that when you were surrounded Bellatrix LeStrange threatened to torture Ginny to force you to give them the prophecy, and you shielded her from that." Charlie stated.

"But I would have done that for any of them."

Charlie looked Harry in the eyes, "True, and that is why so many people love you Harry. But look at it from my perspective. That's my baby sister, and while she is powerful, I wouldn't want her to go through that. It would break my heart. And you are the one that prevented that, kept her from suffering. You have no idea how high that puts you in my esteem."

"But Charlie, I'm the reason she was there in the first place!" Harry retorted in a disgruntled tone.

"No Harry," Charlie replied, "They made the decision to go with you, even after you tried to stop them. They were responsible for their own actions, just as you would have been if the roles were reversed. Tell me, would you have stayed behind had it been Ron or Ginny, or any of the others going off like that?" Harry looked pensive for a moment. "No, of course you wouldn't. But that would be your responsibility."

"Alright, I guess I can see your point, but I still think it's my fault that they were there, and that they got hurt" Harry muttered.

"Well, I suppose there isn't anything more say, but you should think about it." Charlie sighed and then took a sip of his tea. "So anyway, tell me a little more about your training."

Harry reclined back in his chair, "What's there to tell. We've been doing some new spell work that Hermione has researched, but other than that it's been mostly just practicing the things most of us already know."

"Yeah, I've seen, but I meant your training Harry. I've heard that this is an extension of your personal training, and that you've been going at it pretty hard. Your friends are concerned about the pressure you are putting on yourself."

Harry sat there stunned, "Really, well it's news to me. They haven't said a word. I have been putting in some extra sessions, but I thought they would understand. Why wouldn't they just ask me though?"

"On that I can only speculate, perhaps they don't know how to bring it up without sounding like they are accusing you of something. I believe that they are worried because they know what you have to face. And no, they didn't tell me what specifically, but I am smart enough to guess at what could make you push yourself so hard. Can't say that I wouldn't be doing the same thing."

Harry was grateful that they hadn't betrayed his trust, but he was still annoyed that they were worrying about him, particularly that they didn't come right to him. He didn't want anyone's pity regardless of the circumstances. He expected a little understanding about this though, it wasn't like he hadn't been upfront with them, so why couldn't they at least do the same for him.

"So tell me what you are doing Harry. I may even be able to share some other techniques that could help you," Charlie said, bringing Harry's focus back.

Harry began to describe the morning Quidditch practice he and Ron had been doing, and his meetings with Professor Dumbledore. It didn't occur to him until after he outlined his extra studying and practice sessions that he realized how much he had actually been doing. With the pressure he had been feeling from the war, and the DA, and if he were honest, the loss of Sirius, it had seemed like he wasn't doing nearly enough. It didn't make sense to Harry, but he was beginning to see that he hadn't left himself a spare moment since school had started.

"I suppose now you can see why your friends are concerned. You've been pushing so hard you didn't even realize it," Charlie interrupted Harry's thoughts.

"It's not enough," Harry replied in a stiff whisper. His eyes rose to meet Charlie's. "I'm five years behind where I could have been, where I should be if I'm going to win, and it's that much harder that I have to work now to make up for it. If I want to have any chance at all."

Charlie cocked his head in question, "Do you honestly believe that Harry, that the last five years haven't helped you to prepare?"

"He's had fifty years head start, and he wasn't slacking when he was a student here. He's only grown more powerful in that time. I've had sixteen years, ten of which I didn't even know I was a wizard. So five years of training, you tell me, how prepared am I?" Harry answered harshly.

"I understand what you're saying," Charlie said, nodding his head, "But I don't think you're that far off the mark, remember you've stopped him several times now. And don't overlook all you've gained in that time, your friends?"

Harry heard his own grave voice respond, "I'll lose a lot more than what I've gained in the last five years if I can't beat him."


End file.
